Nekoken is Out of the Bag
by Lord Archive
Summary: Ranma has guarded his feelings for Akane intensely, however his cat persona holds no such restriction in expressing his feelings. (Manga continuation. Series is complete!)
1. The Cat is Out

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after Manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Cat is Out.**

* * *

Akane raced down the street as a blizzard of questions ensnared her thoughts with no visible answers. Every time this had happen before, she had been in complete control. Now she felt like she was the prey.

The young Tendo girl rushed into an open door of a clinic and slammed the door shut behind her. She panted heavily, leaning against the barrier to the outside. Her eyes wild as she scanned the room for danger. She then blinked seeing a familiar face that she hadn't seen in some months smiling warmly at her.

"Why hello, Akane. Is something wrong?" Dr. Tofu questioned with a touch of concern.

"Ranma... in Nekoken... can't seem to... control... why can't I... control... don't understand...," she breathed.

The door shook behind Akane and a "Meowr" was heard. "He's found me!" Akane screeched.

Dr. Tofu thought this was rather strange. Then the door stopped shaking. "Is... is he gone?" Akane asked, only to be answered by Ranma's 'Meow!' as he leapt in through an open window.

"Ranma, NO!" the Tendo girl cried out as the boy pounced on her. Akane's body twisted as she attempted to dodge but ended up landing face down with Ranma on top of her. He bit into her hair and his body pounded into hers several times. He paused, raising himself off of her. He drew back his hand as if he was going to claw her from top to bottom when they were both doused with a huge splash of water.

Dr. Tofu's worried form, carrying a now empty bucket, was standing over them.

"Wh... What happened?" asked the bewildered and now female Ranma. She looked down at Akane and immediately jumped to the far side of the room away from the girl.

"You attacked me!" Akane shouted as she got to her feet.

"What?!" Ranma called out in shock.

Dr. Tofu bit his lip. "Ranma, she's right. You... SORT of... er... attacked Akane while under the influence of the Nekoken."

Ranma realized for the first time that Dr. Tofu was with them. "I... attacked her? Why would I do that? I mean... she's always been able to keep me in check before, why wasn't she able to now?"

Dr. Tofu grimaced. This was not the best way to approach this, but if he didn't do something soon someone would get hurt. "I think I could explain it to you, but... you might prefer it if we talked about this in private." Ranma started to head into the clinic's office as Dr. Tofu turned to Akane. "Are you going to be all right? Ranma did tackle you pretty hard..."

Akane winced as she moved her arm, but tried to hide the pain. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I doubt I was even bruised." She smiled at him. "It's good to see you back."

Dr. Tofu smiled back, a little sadly. "It's good to be back, my research kept me away for FAR too long." He started to follow Ranma into his office, and noticed the girl trying to join them. "Er, Akane, I think this would be easier to handle if you were to stay here for a little while."

Akane frowned, but nodded, taking a seat in the waiting room.

From her position, Ranma could still see Akane from where she was seated, even after Dr. Tofu partially closed the privacy curtain.

Dr. Tofu sighed, studying Ranma's face. "Ranma, do you know why some people can control you when you're under the Nekoken's influence, and others are not?

Ranma shrugged, casting a worried glance into the waiting room, but was thankful when the doctor handed her some hot water, which she immediately used to become a guy. "No, not really." She wasn't really paying much attention, after seeing Akane absentmindedly massaging her shoulder.

Dr. Tofu decided on the subtle approach. "Have you told Akane you love her, yet?"

Ranma screeched, "What?!" "Have you told Akane that you love her?" Dr. Tofu repeated. "ME!? Love THAT un-" He cut himself off when he noticed Akane looking up in his direction.

Dr. Tofu sighed, this was going to be difficult. "I take that as a 'no.' Ranma, this is very important. I will keep this in confidence, if you want, but, as your doctor, I MUST know how you feel about Akane."

"You sure you won't spill it if Kasumi shows up?" Ranma eyed Dr. Tofu suspiciously. Dr. Tofu smiled, tapping his crystal clear glasses. "Part of my research trip was to help me control myself around her. I think you can trust me... As I was saying... you DO love Akane, don't you?"

Ranma blinked. He looked at the doctor strangely. "Why do you think that I l... l... er, feel that way about her, anyway? I mean, we always fight, we insult each other all the time, we-"

Dr. Tofu decided he'd better interrupt before Akane decided to eavesdrop and heard what Ranma was saying. "WHILE I was on the research trip, I came across some... interesting... information on the Nekoken. The information explains some of why you react the way you do around certain people."

Ranma was getting a little impatient. "So what does that have to do with this? Why could she control me before, but not now?"

Dr. Tofu sighed. He'd better get this over with. "In order for someone to have a calming effect on you like Akane did, you need... well, the person needs two things from you. They need you to trust them implicitly, and... they need you to love them."

Ranma fell off the examination bed, hitting the floor face first. When he recovered, he started looking over at Akane, who was now reading a magazine in the waiting room. "Okay... t-that explains why she used to be able to control me. But... if I did l... love her, then... why has she lost that ability?" His face hardened. "Did I stop loving her? Do I no longer trust her? What?"

"No, nothing like that." Dr. Tofu considered his next words very carefully, he wanted to put it as delicately as he could. "When you fall into the Nekoken, your feelings don't change. If you love Akane as a cat, you love her as a human. If you love her as a human, you love her as a cat. However, when you change, your reactions become less human and more... cat-like."

Ranma blinked. "I don't follow."

Dr. Tofu sighed. It was time to be blunt, but hopefully he could reduce the damage a bit by explaining things further. "Well, first of all, Ranma, you didn't MEAN to attack her. Think about how cats behave: when a male and a female kitten are both kept as pets, and they are close, they tend to do certain things together. They rub against each other, they purr in each other's company, they groom each other, and they act kind of like what your cat form used to around Akane. However, as they... mature... they tend to demonstrate their closeness in other, more 'adult' ways. In other words..."

Ranma looked at Dr. Tofu in shock and stuttered, "I... You don't mean that I... I tried to... to... have... sex... with... No, I tried to... to... rape..."

Dr. Tofu nodded. "I'm afraid so, Ranma. In fact, to... lessen... the possible damage that this could cause, I think you should tell Akane about this."

Ranma stammered, "I-I can't. She won't understand."

Dr. Tofu looked at Ranma sternly. "You have to tell her. You put her at greater risk if you don't. And I think she will understand."

"I can't tell her this!" Ranma protested in a harsh whisper.

Dr. Tofu shook his head, "I don't think it is wise to delay it. You should really tell her now."

"I can't!" Ranma insisted.

Dr. Tofu insisted, "Ranma, you must tell..."

"I CAN'T!" Ranma angrily interrupted.

"Ranma!" Dr. Tofu was himself becoming upset.

"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO TELL HER I JUST TRIED TO RAPE HER?!" Ranma yelled.

"WHAT?!" Akane shouted.

Ranma froze. He just yelled what he didn't want to tell her.

Dr. Tofu smirked. "The cat is out of the bag. It's time to tell her everything."

Ranma nodded dumbly, thinking he had a decent life up until then. He awaited his execution at Akane's hands.

The Tendo girl was in Ranma's face now. "What do you mean you just tried to rape me?!"

Ranma tried to look away, but was trapped like a deer in headlights by her staring at him. He stammered, "I-I... It's just that, well, er, my cat side, well, it wanted to, um..."

Akane's eyes widen in shock, she could not believe what she was hearing.

"...m-m-mate with y-you," Ranma finished.

Akane continued to stare at him, unable to really think. "I-is this true?" she asked.

"Yes it is, Akane," Dr. Tofu answered. "Ranma, now tell her why your 'cat side' wanted to do that. I'll leave you two alone now." He left his office.

Ranma gulped audibly.

"W-why does your cat side w-want to m-mate with me?" Akane asked nervously.

"I-I can explain. Please hear me out on this," Ranma pleaded.

Akane nodded. While it was hard for her, she had been trying to listen to him before hitting for a while now, especially since the Jusendo incident a couple weeks ago.

"Remember when I first went into Nekoken and I kissed you?" Ranma squeaked out.

"Yes." Akane wanted to know where he was going with this.

"You got upset because you thought I would've kissed anyone," Ranma recalled.

Akane looked like she was about to interrupt, but Ranma motioned for her to remained quiet.

"It wouldn't have been just anyone else." Ranma swallowed hard. "I would only do that to someone that I felt similarly for."

Akane blinked, trying to figure out what he was saying.

"The feeling I have for someone when I've gone cat are the same feelings I normally have for them." Ranma took a deep breath, and looked at the floor, uncertain how she would respond. "The means to control me is be a trusted friend that I-I... l-l-love."

Akane's eyes once again widened in shock. Not believed he had finally said that he loved HER, and no way for him to deny it later. But if he had loved her before, then why had he attacked her? "Ranma, i-if you love me then... why t-the change?"

Ranma closed his eyes. "Because, I guess my feelings for you have, well, matured. I, er, well, my cat side used to react to you as a kitten would, but..." Ranma's voice trailed off unable to say anything more. As his words faded, his face became redder as he blushed.

"Now you respond to me as an adult cat would to his... to someone he loves," Akane finished.

Ranma nodded, blushing deeper than he ever had before.

Akane sat down on Dr. Tofu's chair. Her mind tried to digest what was just told to her. Ranma loved her, she knew that since China, even if he couldn't admit it until now. But, she never considered that if Ranma ever went into Nekoken, his cat form would try to express that love.

The Tendo girl looked up at Ranma. "Y-you want to have sex with me?"

"Well," Ranma admitted, "I... er, well, part of me does, at least. However, I don't really think I'm- er, WE'RE ready for this, yet."

Akane looked at the floor, still trying to figure out what to make of this.

After a long moment Ranma said, "Akane..."

Akane stood up slowly. "I... Ranma, I think we need to go home now."

Saotome followed the Tendo girl out of the clinic. He looked rather down cast. He had told her how he felt about her, yet she had yet to let him know if she returned his feelings or not. Not knowing had been killing him before, but now it was worse.

They walked home quietly. Akane was lost in thought over the revelation of what Ranma told her. She couldn't believe all the things that had happened before because of his presence, and now she had to worry about him ra... MATING with her when he slipped into his cat personality. She sighed, wondering if the insanity would ever end or just continue. Could she really live with everything that Ranma had brought and would bring into her life?

Ranma walked behind her. He wanted, no needed, to know how Akane felt about him. He couldn't bare the not knowing any longer. He nervously asked, "Akane, do you l-l... feel the same way about me as I do for you?"

Akane turned and looked at Ranma with a smile. "How about I tell you on a date?"

Ranma stared at her in confusion.

"How does Saturday sound?" Akane suggested.

Ranma wanted to know why she wouldn't just tell him. But she was smiling at him. And damn it, he couldn't say no to that smile. "You promise to tell me then."

"Yes." Akane nodded.

Ranma sighed. "Okay. You can tell me then."

Akane giggled and skipped down the street.

Ranma was pleased that she looked happy, but still desperately want to know the answer now. He was still a little scared since she hadn't told him how she really felt. He hoped the idea of the date was to tell him in a romantic setting or something, but couldn't get the nagging thought out of his mind that the date was just a set-up to let him down easy. As if being told 'I don't love you' could ever be easy to hear.

* * *

Nabiki sat on her bed trying to figure out what she wanted to buy with all the money she had acquired today through various deals she had made. She had noticed a shirt with a cute cat emblazoned on it after school was over. She was half-tempted to buy it just to upset Ranma. Especially since he had attacked Akane while in Nekoken. Something that was rather odd. But the abnormal was pretty normal for her house these days.

"Enter," Nabiki called out after she heard a knock at her door.

Akane quickly entered the room and then peered into the hallway as if afraid someone was following her. She then closed the door as quietly as she could.

Nabiki's interest was peaked from her younger sister's actions. "What can I do for you?"

Akane practically skipped to Nabiki's desk chair, and sat down. She began, "Nabiki, I need your help. I'm going on a date this Saturday with Ranma, and I want it to be perfect. That means I want no one interfering."

Nabiki calm demeanor slipped a little as she looked at Akane with her mouth slightly agape and asked, "You're going on a date with Ranma?"

Akane nodded furiously.

"It'll cost you," Nabiki answered out of habit. Her mind was already scheming with ways to make as much money as she could from this.

"How much?" Akane sighed, hoping Nabiki wouldn't charge her too much.

"Do you know why Ranma acted weird this afternoon?" Nabiki questioned, since information on the wonder boy always fetched a good price.

Akane was a bit confused that her sister would ask that. "Er...Yes."

"Okay here's the deal, you will cover all costs, tell me what happened this afternoon, and give the details of what happens on the date," Nabiki counted off her price. Course a few pictures taken during said date wouldn't necessarily interrupt it.

"As long as you don't let anyone else know," Akane replied.

Nabiki folded her arms. "Of course." She had no plans of 'just letting anyone know,' but she certainly could be paid for the information. "Now, what's the deal with Ranma going cat on you this afternoon?"

Akane fidgeted. "Not sure why it happened so easily. He only saw Shampoo as a cat for a minute before the change hit. He seemed a bit worried or afraid about something before it happened though."

Nabiki nodded in thought over what her sister said. Something was certainly going on with the Saotome boy, and she would bet that whatever scared him before Shampoo's arrival could garner her some quick cash if she could find out what that was. She could probe that mystery later as the answer to another was about to be answered for her. "Okay, do you think it could be related to why you couldn't control him?"

Akane paused to think about that. "I don't think so. You see, the reason I used to control him because of his love for me."

Nabiki eyes grew in shock.

Akane cheeks took to a deep red flush. "But now... he-he REALLY loves me. I couldn't control Ranma because he wanted to show me how he felt... um... physically."

Nabiki blinked, and then blinked again. "You mean he was trying to have sex with you!?"

Akane nodded. "I've known that he loves me, but I didn't think he felt quite that way about me. But while in Nekoken his feelings don't change, he just reacts to them as a cat would."

Nabiki didn't know what to say. This was literally the scoop of the year. She could make a killing with having undeniable proof that Ranma loved Akane. Killing being an appropriate term as Ranma's suitors proved with deadly intent at the fiasco of a wedding attempt to marry off Saotome to her little sister that they would not sit idly by and let their 'beloved' end up with someone else. However, there was one other piece to the equation that needed to be answered as well to determine the full value of all of this. "How do you feel about him?"

Akane whispered, "I love him."

Nabiki mentally swore. Unless Kuno was willing to sign over his entire estate, there was no way to reconcile the selling price and the potential damages that would result from the information becoming public. That and she really had to get used to the idea of Ranma as a brother-in-law. He wasn't exactly someone she liked to be related too, but her little sister could've chosen someone far worse. "Have you told him?"

Akane shook her head. "I plan to on the date."

Nabiki leaned toward Akane. "Why don't you tell him now?"

Akane sighed. "The way he told me wasn't very romantic. So, I want tell him in a way that was."

"Ahh. Should I come up with some ideas to solve his fiancee problem?" Nabiki questioned, knowing damage control would be needed in the near future. Sure, getting rid of the suitor brigade wouldn't help her make a lot of money, but it'd certainly help prevent unwanted expenses of replacing stuff that the jilted loves broke.

Akane nodded. "Any ideas you have would be a great help. Thanks, Sis."

* * *

It was a rare morning that Nabiki was walking with Ranma and Akane to school. While Ranma was a bit nervous about finding out how Akane felt about him on the upcoming date, her jovial mood helped set him at ease.

"Dr. Tofu didn't waste much time asking Kasumi out on a date," Akane commented.

"Nope, but that's why he went on his research trip," Ranma replied.

"Speaking of dates, Ranma, what are the plans for your date, Saturday?" Nabiki joined in.

Ranma answered in his normal intellectual manner, "Huh?"

Nabiki repeated, "What are the plans for your date with Akane?"

Ranma paled. If Nabiki knew about this, then how many other people did? "How... how do you know 'bout that?" he stuttered.

Akane answered, "I asked her to prevent anyone from interfering with it."

Ranma relaxed a little, "Oh, I guess dinner and a movie, but I haven't decided where."

Nabiki got a devious grin. "How about you let me plan it? I'll make sure it's perfect."

Ranma sighed. "That would be great, but I don't have much money."

Nabiki shook her pointer finger in the air. "Trust me Ranma. I'll keep your financial status in mind while planning it."

Ranma nodded, but the idea of Nabiki planning the date made him feel uneasy. Akane's smile, however, grew bigger as she knew that if her sister planned the date, the less of a chance that interference would occur. She made a mental note to remind Nabiki later what would happen if the date turned out bad, something to do with a serious sparring session in the dojo.

"Ranma, do you know why you went into Nekoken so easily yesterday," Nabiki asked.

"Not sure," Ranma shrugged.

"Akane said you were worried or nervous about something before it happened. Why was that?" Nabiki pressed.

"I... I was kinda going to ask Akane on a date," Ranma admitted.

Akane paled. She had splashed Shampoo for latching onto to Ranma. The young Tendo girl wanted to pound her head into a wall. If she hadn't gotten jealous, all the trouble she had yesterday wouldn't have happened. Then again, it was because he went into Nekoken that she learned of his true feelings for her. Maybe getting upset then hadn't really been THAT bad, but she vowed to control herself in the future. After all, Ranma loved her, not Shampoo or any other girl.

* * *

A small white and purple cat approached the Tendo home cautiously. The cat went over her plans carefully. She knew that Kasumi had gone on a date with Dr. Tofu. That meant only then Kitchen Destroyer would be left to cook, so the rest of the family would probably leave her beloved to deal with whatever slop the girl made. After her beloved justly insulted the horrible cooking, the Kitchen Destroyer would have nothing more to do with him. Leaving Ranma alone for Shampoo!

Shampoo crept though an open window in the back of the house and searched for Ranma. As she approached the bathing room she could hear that her beloved was inside.

Ranma was soaking in the bath, muttering to himself, "Why did she have to get upset about it? I ate half of it before I threw up. Hell, I even said she had improved." He then noticed Shampoo's feline form as she entered the room and stuttered, "C-C-C-C-CAT!"

Shampoo sauntered toward Ranma and jumped onto the ledge of the bath. She was about to jump in when she heard Ranma utter, "Meow." Her thoughts reeled at this. With Ranma having gone into Nekoken doomed her plans since she could never control him like this. If she upset him, she could get hurt.

Shampoo's moment of indecision cost her as Ranma batted her across the room into a wall, knocking her out cold.

"Meowr," Ranma uttered as he sniffed the air. He moved to the door and edged it open and exited. He went upstairs and straight towards Akane's door. He pawed at it trying to open it.

Akane, hearing what she thought was someone knocking at her door, yelled, "Go away!"

Ranma did not obey, rather he crashed through the door. He looked up and saw that Akane was clad only in panties and a bra and was about to put on her pajama top.

Akane had her back to the door and turned to the intruder, starting to shout, "Ranma! Why did... OH, SHIT!" She now noticed the boy was not only nude and rather aroused, that his stance was indicative of a cat. As if to answer her fears, he uttered, "Meowr." Her mind raced to figure out what to do.

Neko-Ranma, however, knew what he wanted to do. He took note of the strange cloth that would prevent him from doing what he wanted, and so with a swipe of his hand turned Akane's panties into confetti.

"Ranma NO!" Akane yelled.

Ranma's cat mind was determined to show how it felt, and pounced on her. She fell face first and was pinned to the floor by Ranma's weight and there was no means for her to get any leverage.

"No! Stop! DON'T DO THIS!" Akane pleaded, struggling beneath him.

Ranma started nibbling the end of her short hair, like a cat preening another cat.

Then with a scream, Akane's virginity came to a sudden end. She wanted to know why this was happening. Tears ran down her face. "Please stop, Ranma... Stop! Bad... bad kitty..."

Akane gave up struggling against him. There was no way to get him off of her until he finished and his body relaxed, and nothing she was saying was getting through to him. The only thing she could do was to try and get at least some pleasure out of this. She started to feel some sensations building up in her... but before she could really experience anything, he finished.

"Damn you! You couldn't even get that right!" She freed her arm from his now relaxed grasp and swung an elbow behind her, sending him flying across the room into the wall, head first. He collapsed, unconscious.

She sat there and began cry. She wanted to know why this happened to her. Why couldn't anything be normal between her and Ranma. Why...

Akane's thoughts were cut short as she heard, "Meow?!" She was furious when she saw the source of the noise and gave a bestial, angry shout of, "SHAMPOO!" Akane grabbed her shinnai that was resting against her wall and tried to strike Shampoo with it. The amazon decided now was a good time to leave and dodged Akane's rage filled attacks and leapt out the bedroom window.

The release of anger allowed Akane to recoup a little. She decided to drag Ranma down to the bath so they could hopefully be cleaned up before anyone got back. She grabbed her gi and a pair of panties first. She knew she was going to make gravel out of some bricks after she was done in the bath.

Once in the bathing room, she tossed Ranma under the shower. She returned to the changing room to take off her bra and then heard him begin to stir.

"Huh? Akane?" Ranma questioned as she turned around. He didn't really notice that she was naked, because of her tear-streaked face. "What happened?" he asked.

"Sh-Shampoo was here as a cat and...," she began as she looked down.

Ranma noticed now that Akane was not only naked, but had a small trail of blood mixed with white goo running down her legs. His mind reeled at the sight and looked at himself and noted that he bore similar evidence of what his fiancee was implying.

"Oh, GODS NO! I d-didn't...," he cried out, hoping what he thought just happened didn't.

"You did," Akane replied as if casting a guilty verdict.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I..." Ranma's mind raced to find something, ANYTHING, to say to her. To ask for her forgiveness. He could think of nothing he could say to correct this.

Right now Akane didn't want an apology. "Ranma. Please just clean yourself and leave me alone."

Ranma quietly did as she asked. Once cleaned, he went to the changing room and started to say repeatedly, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Author's notes:

HOW long ago did I originally write this chapter? It amazes me how much my writing has grown and matured in the many years since I had first wrote this. Looking over this story yet again, I cringed at many things. Some of them being rather minor grammar mistakes, others being larger character issues- like Ranma talking about honor starting in chapter 3. (In Japan, honor is something that's never talked about, you live it.)

While the dialogue of this chapter has mostly been untouched save for a few lines, the changes of this revision improved the flow and level of detail of the story. Hopefully making things easier to read, characters are more in-character, and overall more enjoyable to be read.


	2. The Pain of Love

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - The Pain of Love**

* * *

The sounds of Akane smashing brick after brick was not unusual, especially on the days she cooked. So, three of the residents did not notice, nor did it concern them that Akane's door had a hole ripped in it. These were common enough events that occurred between Ranma and Akane.

Nabiki, however, thought something wasn't exactly right about this. She didn't think Akane would be that angry about her cooking after learning that Ranma actually loved her. Unless she was more upset at herself for botching it than Ranma for insulting it. Still, there was a tangible edge to the girl's anger that should've been smoothed out by her fiance's confession. Matters were not improved with Ranma being nowhere in sight either. Best to find out what pissed off Akane before she caused some expensive property damage.

Nabiki walked toward the dojo. The door was opened and she could see Akane setting up a stack of several bricks. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ranma sitting in a shadow watching Akane.

From the permanent glare on her little sister's face, Nabiki decided Ranma would be easier to talk to. "So, what happened this time?"

"Something really bad," he replied without trace of emotion. Nabiki's interest peaked. "Care to tell me about it?"

"No," Ranma answered in a dead tone.

Akane yelled, "Kyaa!" Yet another dozen bricks were turned to powder. She looked up and saw Nabiki talking to a shadow. She looked closer and saw that Ranma had hidden himself in it. She smiled inwardly as Ranma's hidden presence showed in an odd way that he cared. She was still upset, though. She had been violated. If the date on Saturday had gone as perfectly as she wanted, she might have had sex with him then. She might have even encouraged it, knowing how Ranma felt about 'not being ready.' But then Shampoo came in... and she tried to seduce him for herself... and then she sent Ranma into... DAMN HER! Thanks to Shampoo, she would always remember her first sexual encounter as being one filled with pain, the man she loved would always feel responsible for it, and neither one of them would have experienced any sort of pleasure out of it, since Ranma wouldn't even remember having done it. Akane sighed. The lack of more bricks to destroy made her realize that it was probably time to go to bed.

Akane closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping to clear her thoughts. When she opened them, she decided to approach Ranma and Nabiki.

"Come on, Ranma, tell me what happened. I promise I won't tell anyone. Maybe I can help," Nabiki implored, sensing this might actually be more important than money.

Ranma was ignoring her, his eyes focused on Akane.

The youngest Tendo decided to answer as she passed them, "Nekoken happened."

Nabiki stood there in shock as she remembered what Akane told her and uttered, "Oh, shit!"

"Did Akane tell you why I acted strangely while in Nekoken?" Ranma asked.

Nabiki shuddered. "Yes." She became VERY concerned for her younger sister, and decided to try and help her. First she needed to find out something. "How?"

"Shampoo," Ranma spat out like a curse.

"She was here as a cat, and you went..." Her voice began to betray her.

Ranma nodded in agreement.

"I-I'll go h-help her," Nabiki stammered as she went after Akane.

Ranma nodded and turned his gaze to the pile of concrete dust that sat in the dojo.

* * *

Akane entered her room and sat on her bed. Nabiki entered shortly afterward.

"Leave me alone, Nabiki," uttered Akane.

"Now Akane, I think you should talk to someone about this," Nabiki replied.

"What is there to say?" was Akane's cold rhetorical reply.

"Well, how did it happen?" Nabiki insisted.

Akane sighed. Why did Nabiki have to choose now to be a caring older sister? "Ranma was taking a bath and Shampoo came by, probably to seduce him. She was a cat at the time and-and it sent him into N-Nekoken. I was in here changing and then he-he...," Akane began to cry.

After several minutes and Akane's tears stopped flowing, Nabiki asked, "Do you blame Ranma for this?"

Akane tensed up and screamed, "YES!" But then she softened and meekly said, "I mean it was him, but... it wasn't. This happened because of how he feels, and... he couldn't really control it."

"So, do you blame him?" Nabiki repeated in a soft tone.

Akane shook her head. "No, I guess not."

"Do you blame anyone?" Nabiki wondered.

"Uncle Saotome for teaching him Nekoken, and Shampoo for sending him into it," Akane answered fiercely.

Nabiki nodded. Those two certainly did hold a fair bit of blame for this. "Do you want me to do anything about them?"

"Oh, no. I want to deal with them myself," Akane snarled as she cracked her knuckles.

Nabiki smirked. "I'll make sure their medical insurance is paid up."

Akane let out a cold laugh. "You do that. Now I'd like to get some sleep."

"Sure thing, Sis," Nabiki replied, expecting that neither Akane nor Ranma would get any rest tonight.

* * *

Kasumi nodded to herself at a job well done as her kitchen once again shined. She didn't exactly like it when Akane cooked, but the girl needed the practice if she wanted to be a good wife. Not that her youngest sister would ever admit that's why she wanted to learn. She then sighed and looked down at the floor of the hallway and saw an odd stain.

Kasumi bent down and tried to clean the stain. Living with Ranma for about a year she could tell part of the stain was blood, but the other part of the stain she couldn't identify. She noticed the stain was part of a barely noticeable trail that continued down the hall in both directions.

Kasumi decided to follow the trail towards the stairs, but was sure it was to Akane's room. She guessed Ranma might have gotten cut from being knocked through the door or something similar.

When the eldest Tendo daughter came to the end of the trail she was at Akane's door. She peeked through the hole in the door and saw Akane was awake and sitting on her bed, causing her to wonder if the trouble wasn't a typical spat over the young girl's cooking.

Kasumi knocked on the door.

Akane looked at the door, seeing Kasumi's dress through the hole, she said, "Come in."

Kasumi entered and saw that her little sister had been crying. She looked to be on the verge of tears again. "Akane, what's wrong?" she asked with concern.

Akane looked down into her lap and said nothing.

"Did Ranma hurt you?" Kasumi questioned.

"He didn't mean to," Akane answered in a whisper.

Kasumi frowned. "What happened?"

"He was in Nekoken," Akane answered as she fought back her tears.

Kasumi blinked. "I thought you could control him."

"As his loved and trusted friend I could, but not as his..." Akane swallowed hard. "...mate."

"Mate?" Kasumi screeched, stunned.

Akane nodded.

"You don't mean he... oh, my!" Kasumi could NOT believe what she just heard. That Ranma would attack her in such a matter. It was just unthinkable.

Akane nodded again.

Kasumi went over and sat next to her little sister on the bed. She was at a lost for words, but Akane didn't want words at the moment, hugging her tightly as tears started to flow again.

"Why? Why can't anything be normal between us? Why does this have to happen?" Akane cried.

"I don't know," Kasumi answered. "I wish I did. I wish I did." She cradled her little sister in her arms. "Do you hate Ranma for this?"

"No. It was caused by his love for me. How can I blame him for that? I've wished to have proof of his true feelings for me. But the way I got it..." Akane's words were choked off by tears.

Kasumi could not figure out what to say. She held onto Akane, who cried herself to sleep in her arms.

Kasumi placed Akane carefully into bed. She wished she knew how to help her little sister through this. While all the books she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu talked about healing the physical body, few talked about healing the mind of a rape victim.

* * *

Akane entered the dining area. She was wearing her gi, looking like she slept in it. Ranma in female form and Genma were sparring over the pond. Nabiki watched, trying to keep her calm demeanor.

_*SPLASH!*_

"You're getting sloppy, boy! Get your mind on the fight!" Genma shouted.

"I'm not in the mood to fight right now. I've got too much on my mind," Ranma retorted as he jumped through the open window of his room.

"We're not done yet, boy!" Genma bellowed.

Akane approached Genma. "Uncle Saotome, since Ranma doesn't want to spar with you, why don't you spar with me." It was more of a statement than a question.

"It would not be wise. You are not good enough of a martial artist to fight me," Genma scoffed.

"Won't know until I try. Besides if I don't spar against better opponents how will I ever be a proper heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Akane replied with a cold calmness that seemed so very unlike her usual behavior.

Genma blinked at this and thought this may be a sign she was excepting her role which meant she would also marry Ranma, and so decided to except, "All right, but don't expect me to go soft on you because you're a girl."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Akane said with a malevolent look in her eyes. She strode over to the other side of the pond, bowed, and began sparring.

"Akane's sparring with Genma?" Kasumi said as she entered the dining room.

Nabiki nodded. "You better call Dr. Tofu. I think we'll need him."

***WHAM***

_SPLASH!_

"Grrr..."

***WHAM***

_SPLASH!_

"GROWL!"

***WHAM***

_**/*CRACK*\**_

_SPLASH!_

Kasumi turned and rushed to the phone.

"I thought you said I wasn't good enough," Akane mocked smugly as she entered the house. There was neither a drop of water nor sweat on her.

Nabiki approached the panda in the pond, its limbs bent at odd angles. "Are you all right?"

'No,' read a sign held in the panda's teeth.

* * *

Almost a half-hour later Akane, now dressed for school, stood at Ranma's door and knocked.

"Yeah," said Ranma.

"Breakfast is ready... Would you please... come down and join us?" Akane pleaded.

Ranma opened the door slowly and gave Akane a sorrowful look. "Akane, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Now let's go down stairs and get some breakfast," Akane insisted.

He nodded and followed Akane. If anyone else asked him to get breakfast, he would have said, 'no.' He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know what he could possibly say to her now.

When he entered the dining area, he noticed that his father's left arm was in a sling.

"What happened, Pop?" Ranma asked.

Genma rubbed his arm tenderly, looking a bit sheepish. "Your fiancee proved to me that one should never underestimate an opponent."

Ranma looked at Akane who had a smug look on her face. This frightened him. If she severely hurt his father, who else would feel the wrath of her anger? He nervously asked, "You did that?"

Akane nodded. "Since you weren't up to sparring with him, I decided to. I got a little carried away."

"Akane, you should learn how to control yourself. You might seriously injure someone if you don't," Kasumi admonished, but then wanted to slap herself for saying something like that to her little sister after what happened to her last night.

Ranma and Akane blanched at her words.

* * *

"Akane, I'm really sorry about, you know, yesterday," Ranma said meekly trailing behind the girl as they walked to school.

"You don't have to apologize," Akane replied, coldly.

Ranma sagged. "But I..."

"Ranma, it really wasn't you who did it," Akane told him flatly.

Ranma shook his head. "But it was me, if-if... I well... if..."

"If what? If you didn't love me it wouldn't have happened?" Akane asked angrily.

Ranma blinked. Part of him wanted to nod yes, but he just stared at her.

Akane growled. "You're asking me to forgive you for being in love with me. Like it is wrong. I can't do that, Ranma, because it is NOT wrong. Do you understand? It was NOT your fault."

"You don't blame me?" Ranma asked in shock. She always blamed him before if anything bad happened, even if it didn't involve him. This time he felt it was all his fault.

"No, I don't," she answered with an icy calm that would do her sister proud.

"But, you're still upset," Ranma observed.

Akane turned away. "Not with you. I'm upset with your father and Shampoo."

Ranma blinked. "Why?"

Akane clenched her fist. "Your father taught you Nekoken, and Shampoo induced it."

Ranma frowned. "So that's why you hurt pop."

Akane nodded. "Yes."

"And you plan on fighting Shampoo," Ranma figured with a sense of dread.

"Yes." Akane smirked evilly.

"But Akane, she's better than you," Ranma protested.

Akane laughed coldly. "Funny, your father said he was better and you saw what I did to him."

Ranma shook his head, while Akane acting like some angel of vengeance was not new to him. She rarely held a grudge for very long, and somehow he knew she wasn't going to let this go. Adding that to the fact she blamed someone besides him for something he felt was his fault, this made Ranma even more concerned about Akane.

* * *

"Hello, Ranma, Akane. What seems to be the problem today?" Dr. Tofu asked. He knew by the their looks of the two teens entering his clinic that they weren't there for a social visit.

"Hi, Doc. Um, I was wondering if you knew how I could be cured or gain better control of Nekoken?" Ranma asked.

Dr. Tofu sighed. "I'm afraid I don't."

Ranma looked at Akane with a lot of concern. "Are you sure?"

Dr. Tofu thought about it for a moment. "I could refer you to a psychologist that specializes in curing fears. I don't know if he'll be able to help in your case."

"I'll take any chances. I don't want to hurt Akane again." While the idea of going to a head shrink wasn't something Ranma would like to do, it was better than the alternative.

Akane backed away and blushed.

"Again?" Dr. Tofu asked, stunned.

Akane sighed, "Last night, Shampoo paid us a visit as a cat while no one else was home." She looked down at the floor. "There was no way to stop what happened."

"Akane, are you all right?" Dr. Tofu asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. I just wished something in our relationship would be normal," Akane replied, trying to blow off what had happened.

"I don't think anything about me is normal," Ranma said gloomily.

Akane placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I guess it's a good thing I don't want a boring normal life then."

Ranma blinked. "Huh?"

"A few normal moments wouldn't hurt, though." Akane gave Ranma a reassuring smile.

"I'll make an appointment for you to see a psychologist," Dr. Tofu said, not expecting to be heard.

"Akane, I-I'm going to go away for a while. Just until I'm cured of Nekoken," Ranma told her sadly.

"No. I am not going to let you run off. You need me," Akane said firmly.

"But, I don't want to hurt you," Ranma pleaded.

Akane's position didn't budge. "I know you don't. While we're working on curing you, we could come up with some plans to try to prevent last night from happening again."

Ranma shook his head. "I really think I..."

Akane interrupted him with a fierce glare. "Ranma, I'm staying with you and that is final."

Ranma still wanted to leave, but the girl was too stubborn for her own good. If he left, she would follow. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay."

Dr. Tofu returned a moment later to inform them Ranma's appointment was set for Monday afternoon.

* * *

Akane wandered around the schoolyard. Since Monday, when she found out what might happen if Ranma went cat, she did not like having Ranma out of her sight. Since Wednesday, when she knew very well what would happen, she hated it. Right now, she didn't even know where he was.

"Ranma!" she screamed, looking around for any sort of reply. She then muttered, "Where is that idiot?"

Akane's attention, and those of many other students, was drawn to an explosion in the sport's shed.

A deep dread consumed Akane as she saw a flash of a red and black figure moving toward her. She could hear it 'meow.'

The Tendo girl screamed internally, not wanting to deal with this here and now.

Akane's martial arts reflexes took affect and reached behind herself and pulled out a water gun she had hidden. She fired at the figure, but it dodged. The figure landed right in front of her.

"Meowr?" emitted Ranma, standing on all four limbs.

Akane tried to figure out how to get him wet and fast. She smiled a little, noticing the swimming pool wasn't too far away.

Akane fired several times at Ranma. He continued to dodge it, acting as if he was playing some game. She made it to the pool and leapt in, cannonball style. The splash missed Ranma.

Akane, thankful for diving into the shallow end, stood up, saying, "You want me? Then come here."

"Meowr," Ranma emitted as he jumped in.

"What happened this time?" Akane asked as Ranma emerged from water.

Ranma blinked. "Last thing I remember was seeing Gosunkugi in the sport's shed."

Akane became a little worried. She became VERY worried when she heard someone shout, "Somebody call an ambulance!"

Ranma shook, uttering, "Please tell me I didn't hurt him?"

Akane moved towards a ladder. "Ranma, stay here. I'll go find out."

Ranma nodded as he moved to the edge of the pool.

Akane returned a moment latter and sat down next to Ranma at the edge of the pool.

"I'm sorry, but it was him," Akane sighed. "He doesn't look badly hurt. I think he'll be okay."

"I'm losing control," Ranma said, staring into the pool.

Akane shook her head. "Ranma, there were a dozen cats there. There was no way you could've controlled yourself."

Ranma looked at Akane, hoping she would understand what he had to say. "You don't understand. I'm slipping into Nekoken more often. After I first moved here, it was over a month before I went into Nekoken, and it took a tiger to induce it. In the past week it happened three times."

"You slip into Nekoken whenever you're really scared and there is a cat present. I noticed the cat does not have to be the source of the fear. It's just the trigger. We can prevent Nekoken by working to reduce your other fears." Akane looked into the pool. She wanted to beat herself up for being the source of many of Ranma's fears. If only she had told him how she felt about him.

Ranma couldn't look at his fiance. "How can I, when I'm afraid of losing control?"

Akane sighed. "Then we have to work on you gaining control."

Ranma shook her head. "Akane, I'm going away now. I can't risk hurting you or anyone else."

"How about WE go on a training trip? We can go somewhere that doesn't have any you-know-what running around," Akane suggested.

"But...," Ranma tried to protest.

"I know it wasn't the date we planned, but it should help," Akane tried to smile at him.

"I'll go alone. I don't want to hurt you," Ranma insisted.

"NO!" Akane retorted with growing frustration. "We're going together, and that's final. And... you're not going to hurt me. In fact, Ranma, I think I-"

"I can't risk it," Ranma broke in.

"You're right, Ranma," Akane almost growled. "You can't, but I CAN, and I will, because I-"

Ranma didn't care about the reasons. "Akane, please, I love you, and I just can't-"

This time, it was Akane, frustrated at not being able to say something VERY important to her, who broke in. "I LOVE YOU TOO! I am NOT going to let you out of my sight, if I can avoid it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"You love me?" Ranma fell face first into the pool. After the... incident... he thought he'd lost any chance with her.

Akane pulled Ranma out of the pool and looked into her eyes. "Yes, I love you. And I'm not going to let you try and do this alone."

Ranma nodded. "Okay, but we leave now."

* * *

Ranma, still in female form, tried to understand how Akane could love her after what she had done. Her fiancee held onto her, trying to give her some emotional support. When they arrived home, Akane let go of her. Neither wanted their parents know how close they really were to each other.

Kasumi was surprised to see the two of them home so early. "Why are you back from school already?"

"Ranma accidentally hurt someone while in Nekoken, and we thought it would be best for him to come home," Akane explained.

Kasumi gasped, staring at the pair as they went upstairs and to start packing.

* * *

"So where are you and Akane going, boy?" Genma said with a goofy grin.

"I notice I'm losing control of Nekoken, so I'm going to train to regain control," Ranma explained.

Genma nodded. One always needed to control themselves. "Akane's going along in case you slip."

Ranma shuddered. "Something like that. We'll be back sometime Monday."

Genma then grinned dementedly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Ranma scowled. "Don't you mean 'do anything you wouldn't do.'"

* * *

"So, where are you going with Ranma?" asked a teary eyed Soun.

"We're going on a training trip. He needs to regain control of Nekoken. I'm going because I can control it," Akane answered. She didn't want her father to know she had lost the ability and why.

"Maybe someone should go with you?" Soun suggested.

Akane shook her head. "No. It would only put the other person at risk. We need to do this alone."

"Are you sure?" Soun questioned with concern.

Akane nodded firmly. "Positive."

"Just be careful. I don't want to lose my little girl." Soun gave his youngest daughter a bear hug.

Akane flushed in embarrassment. "You can let go of me now, Dad."

* * *

As Ranma and Akane walked downstairs with their camping gear they saw that Kasumi was on the phone while Genma and Soun waited by the door.

"Thank you. I'll tell him," Kasumi said as she hung up the phone. "Ranma, that was Nabiki. She says the boy you injured is fine. He only needed a few stitches and bed rest."

Ranma released a breath he didn't know he held. "That's good. I guess we'll be going now."

"Now you two be careful, and come back safe and sound." Soun hugged them.

"If you two want to elope, you have our blessing," elated Genma.

Ranma kicked him in the face. "Shut up, old man!"

Kasumi handed the young couple a bag. "Here is some food for the trip."

Ranma and Akane walked out the door and waved.

Akane said, "Good-bye. See you Monday."

Ranma added, "Bye."

"Good-bye," returned Soun, Genma, and Kasumi.

Ranma and Akane raced down the street toward the train station.

* * *

Nabiki was not a happy camper as she stomped towards Saotome shortly after he decimated the sports shed. She would have to make sure Gosunkugi didn't decide to sue the pants off Ranma as the money to pay for that would come from HER family's account. It was times like this she REALLY hated the whole arranged marriage bit. At least she had enough on the voodoo boy to keep him quiet. Nabiki shook her head at the lovebirds, thankful that Akane had managed to keep Ranma from giving the entire school a porn show.

"I LOVE YOU TOO!" Akane screamed. "...NOT..."

Nabiki eyes widen in shock, and cursed her sister's lack of intelligence.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Akane's voice echoed over the school grounds.

Nabiki rubbed her forehead. She certainly understood the situation. Her little sister was going to be married, killed, or both within a week once word of her confession got out.

Nabiki shook her head as the lovebirds quickly finished their argument and left. She noticed, thankfully, only a few people had heard Akane, since most of the students had swarmed around the sport's shed.

"Can I have your attention," Nabiki called out in a loud commanding voice. "None of you will speak of what you just heard. If I find out someone talked about it, I will be very angry with them." The middle Tendo daughter knew someone would talk, but the threat would at least slow the rate of word spreading.

The students shivered at Nabiki's words. Getting Ranma or Akane angry at you meant a trip to the hospital. Getting Nabiki angry at you meant a trip trough hell.


	3. A Cat in the Mountains

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - A Cat in the Mountains**

* * *

Akane sat on the train, watching Ranma look out the window and wishing she knew how to help him. The entire mess was hurting him, possibly even more than she had been hurt. He was scared of losing control and injuring others and of forcing himself on her again.

The Tendo girl desperately wanted to forget Wednesday night had ever happened. While it may have been caused by his love for her, she had felt no love in it. Her first time was supposed to be special, but it was filled with pain. What was worse, Ranma couldn't even remember losing his virginity. Wednesday wouldn't be the last time either, unless something helped him gain control of Nekoken. She didn't want to associate sex with pain. It was suppose to be a pleasurable experience. But, to remember it otherwise would mean to have sex with him when he was fully human.

Akane sighed, wondering if the question of having sex with Ranma really mattered anymore. Neither of them were virgins and they did love each other. They were engaged and even had parental consent. Was there any reason why they couldn't make love?

* * *

Ranma and Akane were walking towards a mountain they plan on using for their training. Only Akane was breaking any real sweat from their journey so far. They were about an hour from where they would set up camp.

"Why don't we take a break here," Akane said as she eyed the last bit of civilization they were bound to see for the weekend: a store that was part gas station, restaurant, and convenience store.

"Couldn't hurt," Ranma answered, realizing it was already late, and any delay didn't really matter.

They walked in, and sat at the restaurant. After placing their orders, Akane left to get a few items from the store. When she got back Ranma noticed that her face was beet red.

"Are you okay?" Ranma asked.

Akane blinked. "Huh?"

"Your face is all red," Ranma observed.

"Oh, it's nothing." Akane tried to wave his questions off. "I just did something a little embarrassing."

Ranma was confused. "What did ya do?"

Akane fidgeted, unable to meet his gaze. "I'll tell you later."

Ranma might have pressed his questioning, but his food was delivered and his stomach took over his mind.

* * *

Ranma sat at a rock next to the stream, brooding. Akane was in the tent they brought. In their rush to leave, they failed to notice Genma hiding the second tent while they were packing.

"Are you going to sit there all night?" Akane asked as she stuck her head out of the tent.

"Are you sure you want to stay with me?" Ranma questioned. "I might still hurt you."

"I knew the risks when I came here. Besides, I brought a dozen water guns and with that stream there, I should be safe. Now get in here."

Ranma nodded his head and walked over to the tent, and entered.

"A-A-Akane!" Ranma stammered. He saw Akane sitting in the middle of the tent, wearing only her gi top and blushing bright red. "Wh-what? I thought... ah..."

Akane couldn't even look him in the eye. "Ranma, I, ah, think maybe we should, ah, well you know..."

Ranma's mouth opened and closed several times before managing to ask, "Are you suggesting what I think your suggesting?"

Akane finally looked up at him, determination set in her face. "Yes, I think we should have, ah, s-sex. I mean, neither of us are technically virgins, and you can't even remember it. I also want to remember sex with you as something pleasurable, and not something the cat dragged in." She was surprised at the bitterness of her own voice when she had said that last part. She hadn't even meant to bring it up. It had just slipped out.

The Tendo girl frowned at the wounded expression on Ranma's face. She reached out to him and caressed his cheek. "Please, Ranma. If you don't want to do this for yourself, then... do it for me." His eyes widened as she continued, "I... wasn't ready last time. It hurt... a lot. But now, I think I'm ready... if you are..."

Ranma slowly nodded. Akane's hand went from his cheek to behind his head as she leaned forward and started to kiss him.

Ranma started returning the kiss with a passion. Akane continued to lead, letting her hands roam up and down his back. Ranma, not wanting to be left behind, reciprocated.

They both began to moan in shared pleasure as their fingers began to explore each other, touching their beloved in ways they had feared to do so before.

Feeling Akane writhe against him in such ecstasy was starting to affect Ranma in ways he couldn't have imagined before. Ranma pulled back, much to her dismay until she saw him loosening the drawstring of his pants.

Using this break in the action to her advantage, Akane desperately grabbed the paper bag that held her purchases from the store. She pulled out a box of condoms.

Ranma saw them and blinked. "Uh, you want me to use those?"

Akane nodded, "Our lives are complicated enough. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks."

Ranma whined, "Do I have ta?"

Akane nodded. She removed a condom from its packaging and put it on him.

"Ready?" Ranma asked.

Akane nodded. She soon realized she wasn't. She had to bite back a scream, not of pleasure nor pain but of protest. While she knew this was Ranma making love to her, his hard and fast rhythm reminded her too much of the cat.

The intense pleasure Ranma felt from making love to his 'uncute' fiancee was maddening. Lost to his own pleasure he did not notice her face contort as she struggled to understand her own feelings. Though she was not beyond his thoughts as he never truly wanted to do this with anyone but her. When her body squirmed underneath him, it increased the wondrous feelings and he called out her name, "Oh, Akaaaneee..."

The struggle in Akane's mind eased. She felt immense pleasure when he said her name. It was as if she had been blocking herself from enjoying and sharing in Ranma's love until that moment. By hearing her own name, she knew that this wasn't the cat fucking her. That he was truly making love to her and not imagining one of his other suitors.

Ranma wondered for a moment if he had done something wrong when she stopped squirming, but then she began to moan loudly. She then pleaded at him to say her name again, and he did. He kept repeating her name first as long moans of delight, but then becoming snarls of restraint.

Akane began to squirm once again, writhing in the pleasure her 'hated' fiance was giving her with his body and with his words. He had gone a bit dirty, telling her out great her 'tight-ass cunt' was, but that made it better for her. A cat would not be able to say such things, to remember their shared love.

With a final grunt, Ranma's groaned out his lover's name. He held her tightly as his pleasure climaxed. He then gazed at her face, not quite believing what they had just shared.

Akane returned his gaze, but then tears began to leak from her eyes. She grabbed Ranma into a desperate hug as she began to sob. "Why couldn't our first time have been like this? Why?"

Ranma grimaced at her words. He hugged her back and flipped over, so she would be on top of him. He caressed her hair as she cried into his chest. "I'm sorry, Akane. I'm so sorry."

Exhaustion from the trip and from making love, Akane quickly drifted to sleep in his arms. Ranma soon followed her into slumber.

* * *

Akane awakened slowly, relishing Ranma's musky scent. But the lack of the warmth of his body told her he was missing. She looked around the tent for traces of him, vowing to kill him if he had ran away.

She closed her gi top and peeked out of the tent. She looked around for a moment before noticing Ranma in female form sitting in the stream.

"Good morning," Akane greeted happily, exiting the tent.

"Morning," Ranma said, gloomily.

"What's the matter?" she asked with concerned while walking towards her female fiance.

Ranma hugged herself. "I don't want to hurt you again, but I can't control myself in Nekoken. If I went cat now and you couldn't get me wet, I'll r-rape you again. I-I don't think you should..."

Akane interrupted Ranma by kissing her. "I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. Besides, I might be willing to have sex with your cat side now."

Ranma blinked. "W-what?"

Akane gave a forced smile of determination. "The problem with Wednesday was that I had no warning and no foreplay. The next time something like that happens, and I can't stop you, I'll be more receptive to it. It'll still hurt, but at least I'll be able to get some pleasure from it."

The sometimes girl stared in shock. "How can you say that?"

Akane folded her arms. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Ranma shook her head. "Akane... you're still hurting from what I did to you."

Akane sighed. "Ranma, I'm hurt because something that should've been special to US became meaningless. We were suppose to share in pleasure, but neither us can think of our first time like that. And all because of the stupidity of others." She then made the her lover look her in the face. "Ranma, I'd be lying if I said having sex with your cat side again didn't scare me. But it's a risk that I have to take. If you run from this now, run from me, you'll always be running away like a coward. You'll never be able to love someone in fear of what you could do to them."

Ranma balled her hands into fists wanting to say something to get the girl to see reason.

Akane glared angrily, wanting to get her own message through her lover's thick skull. "Ranma, I can't blame you for Wednesday as you did that out of your love for me. And I'm willing to take the risks your life brings because I love you." She sighed, trying to regain control of herself. "I love you for reasons I can't even begin to name, even if you are a jerk half the time."

"Try all the time," Ranma retorted. "I've been stringing along fiancees just to delay a marriage I wasn't sure I wanted. I've kept an important secret from you because of my stupid pride. Not to mention that I should've either killed myself or married you after Wednesday."

"Don't you dare think about doing something like that! I don't want you to ever consider suicide as way out," Akane said, shaking Ranma.

Saotome sighed. "Akane, I might have to. If I lose control completely..."

"We'll prevent that from happening. Ranma, I am never going to leave you. Not now, not ever. If it takes me marrying you for you to realize this, so be it. I love you and you're stuck with me, now and forever," the Tendo girl stubbornly announced.

"Are you sure about that? I might do something to push you away. Or what happens if I get stuck in this body?" Ranma pressed.

Akane shook her head. "Ranma, after all that shit we've been through already, it'd take an awful lot to push me away. And if you become permanently stuck as a girl, then we go find some Nannichaun to either cure you or curse me."

Ranma feel over, briefly submerging herself into the stream. She then sputtered out, "You'd curse yourself just to stay with me?!"

"Yes." Akane nodded, but didn't really want to pursue that line of discussion and so changed topics. "Now what is this about a secret you've been keeping from me?"

Ranma sighed, trying to figure out how to say this and stay alive. "First, let me explain why I've kept it. I made a promise to not tell anyone about it. That damned promise has kept me from telling you, even though it was abused. I nearly broke it several times because I couldn't stand it."

Akane frowned. "So, you promised not tell me? Why tell me now?"

"Because it's a stupid promise that shouldn't have been kept," Ranma replied bitterly. He hoped Akane would take this well. "It involves Ryoga and why we fight. He's right in saying that he has seen hell for something I did. It began after the missed duel. He tried to follow me to get his man-to-man fight. He followed me all the way to China and... Jusenkyo."

Akane eyes widened, she wasn't sure what he was about to say, but she knew she wasn't going to like it.

Ranma looked down into the stream, she did not want to see Akane's reaction. "He was on a cliff over looking the pools when... a panda that was being chased by an enraged girl passed by. The panda knocked him off balance, and I, being the girl, knocked him into the cursed pool of drowned... black... piglet."

Akane blinked. "You're expecting me to believe Ryoga is P-Chan?"

Ranma slapped herself in the head. "YES! Because it's the truth. Have you ever noticed that they both wear the same bandanna. They both get lost weeks at a time. While they are never seen together at the same time, that when one of them shows up, the other tends to appear a little later. That he avoids water like the plague."

"But I've seen him wet," Akane protested.

"After he got Shampoo's water-proof soap," Ranma corrected.

Akane shook her head. "I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

"Because he loves you, and that is the only way you've shown him affection," Ranma answered flatly.

Akane stared in disbelief. "He... loves... me?"

Ranma nodded curtly. "Yes."

The Tendo girl shook her head in denial. "I don't believe you."

Ranma shook her head. "It's a simple matter of finding out if I'm telling the truth. Give P-Chan a hot bath or get Ryoga wet. Besides, why the hell do you think I've been jealous of a pig if that's all he was?"

Akane stared at her lover. "You're serious?"

Ranma folded her arms in defiance. "Damn straight. I am not letting you sleep with P-Chan unless you can prove I'm lying."

"Fine! The next time I see P-Chan, he gets a hot bath." Akane stomped off to the tent. The whole idea that Ryoga of all people would be someones pet was ludicrous to her. Shy, innocent and gullible Hibiki would never do anything so perverted and devious.

Ranma continued to soak it the stream's water, wishing Akane would believe her for once.

* * *

Hours later Ranma and Akane sat by the camp fire. Neither had said nor done anything since morning.

They said each other's name simultaneously.

Akane sighed. They were her to help her lover with his problems, yet what he said about Ryoga undermined the entire purpose of the trip so far. "Ranma, I'm sorry I don't believe you... It's just I can't believe he'd do that. I can't see anyone willing be a pet."

"What about Pop?" Ranma jokingly interrupted.

"Okay, I guess he might be a pet, but I can't see Ryoga doing that. Also, I can't believe he would do something so low... so perverted." Akane stared into the fire. "It'd mean he slept in my bed and seen me undressed. He'd know almost all of my deepest secrets."

Ranma blinked. "Almost?"

Akane laughed a little nervously. "Well, I've never voiced my love for you before last Monday. Until China, I've tried to deny it, and I couldn't even bring myself to tell P-Chan. Besides, I couldn't risk Nabiki or anyone else listening in."

"What will you do when you find out I told the truth?" Ranma asked dully.

Akane glared. "IF you told me the truth, I'll... I'll probably send him to the vets. If you lied to me, you'll have some explaining to do."

"I hope he didn't find some temporary cure," Ranma commented.

Akane was shaken by Ranma words. He had stated matter-of-factly that Ryoga was P-Chan, and he hadn't shown any signs that this was a joke. Akane knew it was a joke, either Ranma's, which she hoped it was, or Ryoga's, which the gods had better help him if that's the case.

After a long silence, Ranma asked, "Akane, are you still planning to fight Shampoo?"

"Yes," Akane replied.

Ranma sighed, he didn't exactly want to do this in case he hurt her, but not doing so would get her hurt in the battle. "Then I guess I better train you."

Akane scowled darkly. "You make it sound like there is no way I can beat her."

Ranma shook his head. "You may be good, but Shampoo is better. She's been trained as a fighter since she could walk. You've been training as it's something to do."

"I still say I can take her," Akane insisted.

Ranma was still shaking his head. He had to keep himself from insulting her as he didn't want another fight, especially over this. She needed training, otherwise her chance of winning would be purely on dumb luck. "Maybe you could, but I can help make sure you win."

Akane nodded, grinning. With Ranma training her for real, she believed she would be able to defeat Shampoo easily.

Ranma continued to think of just how to train the girl so that her chances went from less than one percent, to a hopeful ten percent and didn't get her killed in the process.

* * *

A short distance from camp, Ranma spent several minutes carving a flat, square area on the side of a large, dead tree which had a diameter of a couple meters. He motioned for Akane to come over.

"For your first lesson, I'd like to work on speed. Your strength, as good as it is, means nothing if you never land a blow," Ranma began.

"So, how come I'm not learning chestnut fist?" Akane asked.

"Because you're not fast enough yet. I was a lot faster than you before learning that move. Hopefully, you'll be fast enough to attempt it by the end of the weekend," Ranma told her, but seriously doubted she could gain enough speed to attempt it if she had a month of solid training.

Akane was a little angry at him for degrading her skill, but nodded. She wanted to be trained, so getting into a fight about it wouldn't help.

Ranma pointed to the square he cut into the tree. "To begin this lesson, I'd like you to punch this area as fast as you can. Don't worry about putting any strength into it, just work on speed."

"Okay."

Akane punched the area several times before Ranma stopped her, shaking his head. "Akane, you're putting to much power in those punches. Concentrate on speed, like this." Ranma tapped Akane two dozen times in a second. "Just connect your punches with the tree, don't try to hurt it."

Akane resumed punching the area. Ranma coached her from the side usually saying either, "faster" or "less power." His words were really beginning to annoy her.

After an hour, Ranma shook his head at the lack of improvement. "Keep at it. I'll cook lunch."

"I should make you lunch," Akane replied stopping her attack on the tree.

"No," Ranma replied, becoming nervous. "You should continue training. You won't learn chestnut fist if you're the one cooking."

Akane scowled, suspecting the true reason was because he didn't want her to cook. While he did have a point, she wasn't going to let this slide completely. "Okay... but I'm cooking dinner for you Tuesday."

Ranma shivered. "Okay, now get back to training."

Akane nodded and returned to punching the tree.

* * *

Akane sat down by the camp fire, her arms hung loosely to her side. It took some effort for her to pick up a plate that held her lunch.

"How do your arms feel?" Ranma asked.

"Perfectly fine," Akane obstinately lied.

"Whatever," Ranma smirked. "By the way, afternoon training works on the legs."

Akane sighed, "What training is that?"

"A game of tag, and you're it. You'll also be wearing leg weights."

* * *

Akane chased after Ranma, over the hills and through the woods.

"Hey, move it faster, a snail just passed you up," Ranma called out. He regretted insulting her now, but he knew she'd be better motivated to chase after him by doing so.

"You're not the one that's wearing the leg weights!" Akane angrily retorted.

Ranma stuck his tongue out at her. "I thought you're a martial artist, you should be able to handle such minor obstacles."

Akane snarled, "Get back, here you JERK!"

Several minutes passed as Akane chased Ranma. A predatory gleam came to Akane's eyes as she saw Ranma make a sharp turn. Cutting the angle of her own turn to intercept him, she leapt at him and managed to slam him into the tree.

"Ow," Ranma uttered before laughing. "You actually caught me."

"Yes, I did." Akane smirked. "So, if a snail passed me up, then how did I get you?"

"Aw, I only said it to motivate you. Do you think you would've touched me if I didn't?" Ranma shot back.

Akane blinked. "You said it to motivate me?"

Ranma nodded and began speaking as if he was unveiling sage advice, "Yeah, most of the time I say something insulting, it's to point out a weakness and hope the person would be motivated to fix it. The more I insult it, the more I feel it needs improving."

"Hey, you constantly insult my figure," Akane growled.

Ranma gulped. "T-that's different. I've been insulting that to, well, make our parents think I wasn't attracted to you. If I kept saying you were cute, they'd have us married already."

Akane blinked and stammered out, "Y-you think I'm cute?"

"Um, yes," he answered, blushing.

Akane reached over and started to kiss Ranma. They lost themselves in their passionate embrace. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies on their own accord.

The Tendo girl could not believe how aroused she was feeling. She already felt closer to orgasm than she had last night. And as much as she wanted to continue this here and now, the animalistic nature of sex still unnerved her and the condoms were back at the tent. If she was going to stop it she had to do that now. "Ranma, as much as I'd like to keep going, shouldn't we get back to training?"

Saotome pouted like a hurt little boy. "I... guess." He certainly didn't want to stop now, but there was no way in Hell he'd force himself on her.

Akane gave him a quick peck on the lips. "We can finish this tonight."

Ranma nodded. The promise for later didn't really help the raging erection she had incited.

* * *

Akane knelt at the edge of the stream, with Ranma standing beside her.

"All right Akane, first attempt. GO!" Ranma called.

Akane's arms dashed into the stream, splashing water everywhere.

"I caught one." Akane said gleefully.

"Yeah, you caught one," Ranma replied, spitting out water from her now female form. "Akane, the idea to do it so as not to get wet. It is NOT to get everything wet."

Akane looked at Ranma sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Try it again without splashing everything, or I sleep like this tonight."

"Are you give me an incentive to fail?" Akane smirked.

"W-what?" Ranma stammered.

"Well, I am, kinda, sorta, interested in seeing what it would be like to make love with you in that form." Akane's face turned crimson red.

Ranma shook her head, and then grinned when she got an idea. "If you can attempt the move without splashing everything, then you get choice of which form I'll be in tonight."

"Deal," Akane grinned.

After an hour of trying, Akane attempted the move without excessive splashing. She still wasn't anywhere near the speed she needed for Chestnut Fist, but she was finally improving and did managed catch two fish to cook for dinner. After dinner she returned to the tree and started to punch it for a couple hours before going back to the tent for the night.

* * *

Ranma sat sheepishly in the center of the tent as a girl, wearing only her red Chinese shirt. She wondered if Akane felt this scared when she had... attacked her. This was something she had NEVER wanted to do. Had vowed to never do. But there was one, and only one reason, she was willing to submit to this: because she had hurt Akane. She loved the girl and yet betrayed her. She took something that couldn't be given back. This would be her punishment. To submit herself to whatever sexual desires her fiancee had to make up for the theft of virginity by being raped.

Waiting for Akane to return to the tent became its own torture. Part of her wanted this over with, while the rest of her dreaded it happening.

Finally the Tendo girl arrived and giggled at the sight of her. "Did I look like that last night?"

Ranma nodded, blushing deeper.

"Do you want to lead?" Akane asked.

Ranma shook her head.

Akane sighed, most of her fantasies about Ranma had him being the aggressor, yet so far he hadn't shown much initiative on his own. Though her dreams of this wouldn't be a total waste, just a reversal of roles. And frankly, she didn't know if she could handle an aggressive lover yet.

Akane was certainly in control the entire time. Even after allowing her lover to return to being a guy, she remained on top. That position of authority allowed her to focus solely on making love as it was nothing like the horrid night when they were at the mercy of Nekoken.


	4. The Fist of Anger

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - The Fist of Anger**

* * *

Ranma sat by the campfire, which was surrounded by several sticks with fish stuck to each one, being cooked. Ranma gazed at the fire, absentmindedly eating one of the fish.

"Good morning," Akane greeted Ranma as she exited the tent.

"'Morning," Ranma returned.

Akane moved toward the campfire and took one of the fish and started eating. "How come you didn't let me catch them?"

"I got hungry, so I got them. Besides, I didn't want to wake ya," Ranma answered.

Akane pouted. "That's odd. I thought you'd wake me as part of martial arts training."

"I just didn't want to wake ya, okay," Ranma insisted with a slight blush.

"You didn't want me to cook, did you?" Akane accused.

"That's not it at all! We have an agreement where I cook for this trip, and you cook Tuesday. Remember?" Ranma retorted.

Akane blushed. "Oh, right. So, why didn't you wake me then?"

Ranma turned away, his cheeks turning bright red. "You just looked so peaceful sleeping there. I couldn't bring myself to wake you."

Akane smiled wryly. That he couldn't wake her was kind of cute, but she wished he'd at least be a little more open with his feelings. You'd think having sex a few times would've done something.

Ranma and Akane ate their breakfast in relative silence. He was still a little withdrawn from the events of the past week, and she didn't have a clue how to get him out of it. Though the girl preferred focusing on helping her lover than on what she knew the boy was brooding about.

When breakfast was finished, Akane returned to the tree and started to attack it. Ranma watched her for some time, coaching her in his usual crass style.

"If you don't get any faster, Shampoo is going to cream you," Ranma mocked, smirking as her attacks suddenly increased speed. "I'm going back to the campsite to practice. Remember, speed will defeat power, victory will only come if you can avoid being hit by that cute Amazon."

"What?" Akane screeched, but Ranma was already gone. She growled in rage that he would call that Amazon hussy 'cute.' He was HER lover and was engaged to HER. He shouldn't even LOOK at that trollop after everything that had happened. That bimbo was half the cause of his cat side mating with her, yet he still dared to complement that bitch.

Akane's attacks were now moving with blinding speed. Her thoughts turning in her anger and hatred. That her lover still thought so low of her skills. She had been the best martial artist in Nerima before Ranma arrived, and was not someone to be taken lightly. But he did think little of her skill. That there was no way she could defeat one stuck up bitch. She would prove him wrong and make that fucking little cat pay.

* * *

Ranma practiced his martial arts, lost in thought. He had a hard time believing anything that happened in the past week. Before Monday it was the same old crap. Akane got upset at the slightest things, Ukyou and Shampoo acted as if the wedding fiasco never happened, and some wandering martial artist wanted to see what a punching bag felt like. He half-wished his mother hadn't returned to the recently repaired Saotome home. She at least didn't want to freeload off the Tendo family and knew he didn't really want to leave.

Ranma sighed. He could not fathom how he had become Akane's lover. Especially after what Nekoken had done to her. He didn't know how the girl could even look at him after he raped her. Yet the girl spread herself open for him. And for all her cries of him being some sort of pervert, she got it in her head to screw him while HE was a girl. He wasn't very comfortable with how much he had enjoyed having sex that way. He was a boy, and should've never felt like that...

Ranma's thought were brought to a sudden halt as he heard a tree's crashing fall. The noise came from where his lover had been punching the tree. "Akane!" he screamed as he ran almost faster than the eye could see. He was relieved to see the girl standing next to the fallen tree, apparently unharmed. She stood staring at her hand in shock. The tree appeared to have about six feet of it's height turned to splinters.

"Hey! Akane, you okay?" Ranma asked, concerned.

Akane looked up at Ranma with a silly grin on her face. "I'm fine."

Ranma looked at the tree, trying to understand what happened to it. He could feel the strong presence of Akane's chi in the air. "Um, how did you break the tree?"

"I-I think it was a chi enhanced punched," Akane replied.

Ranma looked at Akane quizzically. "Chi enhanced? Can you do it again?"

"Let me try," Akane said moving over to a rock. "Kyaa!" she cried as she punched the rock. "OW!" she yelped as she hit the rock, only cracking it.

Ranma paused, trying to figure out what she had done. "What were your thoughts before hitting the tree?"

Akane pouted. "Um, I was furious about you saying Shampoo was cute."

Ranma nodded. "Hmm... It was probably anger based then. I want you to get angry and try again."

Akane stood there trying to get angry, but the idea of developing a new martial arts move kept entering her mind preventing her from getting angry.

Ranma noticed that the smile never left Akane's face. He knew what he had to do, but hated it none-the-less. "How do expect to defeat Shampoo. She's faster, stronger, cuter, and a she can cook." After that last comment, he was half-tempted to find a nice safe rock in China to hide behind as the girl's aura flared dangerously.

Dark blue fire enshrouded Akane as she screamed a bestial yell and punched the rock again, turning it into powder.

Ranma blinked. He had seen this before. She first did it with the battle douji, and again last Wednesday night, but neither of them had noticed she had repeated it without a power boost.

Akane stepped forward, anger etched into her face.

Ranma gulped and then tried to cheer, "Akane, you did it! You mastered a chi punch."

Akane stopped and looked at where the rock use to be. "I did, didn't I?"

Ranma scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yep, and I'm sorry for saying those things. Just needed to motivate you."

"You certainly did," Akane said with a gleam in her eye. She stood still for a second as a dark blue flame surrounded her hand. "Akaneken!" she called punching a nearby rock, turning it into pebbles. She shrugged noting she hadn't been that angry.

Ranma looked at the rock in dismay. The girl really needed some anger management. He looked around for a moment and saw a live tree of about one meter diameter. "Akane, I want you to use your attack on that tree."

Akane nodded. She stepped up to the tree and focus her thoughts on a certain cat she wanted to skin alive. Satisfied she was angry enough, she punched the tree but little happened beyond some of the bark flying from the impact. She growled and punched the tree some more, and then hissed as it was little more than dented.

"That's enough, Akane," Ranma called out.

"But my attack isn't working!" Akane protested.

"Yeah, and that's a GOOD thing. The tree's alive. If it had exploded, your attack would be beyond lethal," Ranma observed.

Akane paled.

Ranma took a closer look at the tree. If she kept up the attack it would've eventually exploded as the tree was now dead. In fact it wouldn't take much to knock the whole tree down now with numerous fist sized holes drilled into it. "Your move is powerful, but it appears to have a similar effect as Bakusai Tenketsu. Only non-living things will be utterly destroyed. The power of your punch is still amplified several times over."

Akane nodded slowly. "Good, I didn't like the idea of having a technique based on anger that could easily kill."

Ranma frowned. He didn't want to say this, but she had to hear it. "Akane, it can easily kill someone. Sure myself, Ryoga, Shampoo and some of the others could take a few of these punches, but a normal person would be splattered as if they were hit by a truck."

Akane looked at her fist and hoped no one ever pushed her to the point that she'd kill them.

Ranma stood still and concentrated his own chi around his hand and punched the tree stump duplicating Akane's move.

"Show off. Couldn't let me have a move only I know," Akane said jokingly.

Ranma smirked. "Now Akane, you developed a move from scratch. The fact I can duplicate it using confidence chi doesn't lessen your achievement."

Akane faked a pout. "I know. I was just hoping I was capable of doing something you couldn't. I can't even hold things only woman can do over you, and that bugs me."

"While I may be capable of doing everything you could, it doesn't mean I'd want to or that I'll ever try to. I'll never try to do, um, some of the things woman do," Ranma finished with a blush.

Akane figured what he was implying. "If you ever did, your Mom would have something to say about how 'unmanly' you were for doing it."

Ranma shivered. "Anyway, I'd like to teach you how to throw your punch into a chi blast."

Akane's eyes brightened. "I can use it that way?"

Ranma nodded. "Yep. You have the basics down. You see, when I throw a chi blast, I concentrate on an area and let my chi collect there. When it's sufficiently large enough, I give it a push sending it off. You are able to collect it in one spot. The problem, though, is that you collect it in your fist, if you give it a push, you're likely to rip your hands off in the process. The first thing you need to do is concentrate your chi in air, outside your body."

Akane attempted it several times, but her chi continued to manifest in her hands. Finally, Ranma decided to give her some help. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Akane growled with a little anger for interrupting her training.

"Giving you a better example of how to do a chi blast." He held his hand out in front of Akane and let his chi gather between them.

Akane felt Ranma's chi flow through her towards the growing chi ball between his hands. She had the feeling of confidence wave over her. She hadn't felt so generally confident since Ranma arrived. The only thing she was confident about since then was that Ranma was hers, after China there was no doubt in her mind about that. Then she felt a push as his chi was sent away from them in a blast.

Ranma frowned noting the attack was much weaker than he had expected. "Understand how to do it now?"

Akane nodded. "I think so." She once again focused her thoughts on Shampoo and all she had done. She let the feelings of anger and rage flow threw her, leave her body, and collect between her hands. She then shouted, "Akane Ha!" The blast hurled through the air, blasting several rocks into large chunks.

Akane looked puzzled at the damaged caused. "How come the rocks didn't explode into powder?"

Ranma rubbed his chin. "My guess is when you punch an object, your chi goes into it on contact with you and not just the chi. The chi blast just smashes against it, but when your fist hits it, the object gets your chi dumped into it and gets ripped apart by it. Actually, your attack may just be an overkill version of Bakusai Tenketsu."

Akane frowned, not liking the idea that her attack wasn't 'new' at all. "Oh. I think that makes sense."

Ranma frowned at the girl. "Now Akane, about those attack names, Akaneken and Akane Ha, why do you call them that?"

"They are my moves. I have the right to have them named after myself, even if people may think they are called 'anger fist,' 'red fist,' or whatever."

"I think you should come up with something more stylish, like Moukoken." Ranma's fist erupts in chi and he punches a rock, exploding it into pebbles. He frowned.

"Well, it looks like at least I have a stronger version of the punch. I turn rocks into powder," Akane gloated, forgetting what a lesser amount of anger had done.

"I guess you do." Ranma grumbled a bit, not wanting to admit his true weakness.

Akane grinned. He may be able to do the move, but hers was stronger.

* * *

For the remainder of the morning was the leg speed training. Akane had to catch Ranma, but this time they had decided on a prize to the victor: the loser would be a sex slave for the night.

As the noon hour passed, it was clear Akane had failed. She was rather irritated at herself and accepted what was the left of the rice and sauce Kasumi had given them for the trip. At least it wasn't fish again.

Feeling a little revitalized by the food, Akane moved to the stream to once again try for Tenshin Amaguriken. She took a deep breath and then cried out. Her hands thundered into the water, splashing water and fish everywhere.

Ranma frowned, having been turned female once again my the girl's splashing. While Akane's speed had certainly improved, control still eluded her. Ranma wouldn't dare put her through the true training as she'd more likely grab the burning wood than the chestnuts. Still her improvement was impressive.

Akane was brimming with pride that she had 'pulled off' the move. "I did it!"

Ranma slowly shook her head. "You're certainly getting better. But you lack control. Now try it again, but this time send the fish to one spot."

Akane nodded and repeated the move a few more times, but had to give up as the fish didn't dare go near where she was training.

* * *

Ranma and Akane spent much of the afternoon sparring. While it was clear her speed had improved greatly, she couldn't do better than an occasional lucky hit. Akane was pleased at least that he was attacking back. This was a serious sparring session and not some game of tag he usually played.

As dinner approached, he decided to test how the Akaneken worked against him. He let lose a series of insults that got the desired response, a chi punch which he blocked with his arm. Wincing from the pain, he failed to block the one that hit his chest, sending him flying into a nearby tree.

"Ranma, why do you insist on insulting me?" Akane growled angrily.

"I already told ya, 'I said it to motivate you.' There is no more to it than that," Ranma retorted. "I don't mean what I said, I just say them to get you to do as I want. I just said those things now to see how the Akaneken worked on a person, to make sure you it wasn't too dangerous of a move."

"Fucking idiot!" Akane cried out in horror. "You risked your life just to see if my punch was lethal or not?! What do you think would happen to me if that move was lethal and I killed you?"

Ranma pouted. "I don't know."

* * *

"So, what's next on the training schedule?" Akane asked, standing up after finishing diner.

Ranma moved behind her wrapping his arms around her and whispered into her ear, "I was thinking of some endurance training."

Akane knew what kind of training that was. "Oh, how does this 'training' help me with fighting Shampoo?"

Ranma grinned. "A little more endurance can go a long way. Besides, you're twice as fast as you were before and with your chi attacks, she's in for a nasty surprise. She'll likely be overconfident in your fight as long as you don't show how much you've advanced before the fight. We'll work on some strategies against Shampoo's fighting style tomorrow. For now, I think we should have some fun."

Akane nodded. Even if she really wanted to continue training, the way Ranma was holding her and talking softly into her ear made her want to have that kind of fun.

"Remember, you lost that little chase we had this morning, so you're my slave tonight. I get to do with you as I wish," Ranma whispered with a grin that would do Happosai proud.

Akane nodded. That incentive for winning the chase hadn't been much of one as she wanted him to be the aggressor. All her fantasies before were of him taking advantage of her. Though she found her 'dream rapes' pale in comparison to what his cat side did. Which was another reason why she wanted him to be in control. If she was ever going to come to terms with how she lost her virginity, she had to fully submit herself to him.

Ranma was true to his word as he took command of her body. Touching her in ways she had never imagined. He certainly did not forget foreplay as he molested her with her own clothes, giving her a wedgie of pleasure, not pain. And he didn't let up, not until he was finished.

Akane embraced Ranma as the feelings of pleasure started to subside. She reveled in the what he had done: making her cum over and over again, trying a couple tricks to send her deeper into passion, filling her... Filling her?! Akane snapped out of the remaining euphoric feeling when she realized he didn't use a condom.

"Ranma you jerk!" Akane screamed as she punched him into a tree.

"Wha... Akane, what's wrong?" Ranma asked, stunned.

"You didn't use a condom, that's what's wrong!" Akane seethed.

Ranma tried to think of any excuse. "B-but you didn't mind it then and I was suppose to do with as I wanted with you."

"Ranma, do you have any idea of what could happen!?" Akane screamed. "I could get pregnant! Our lives are already insane enough as it is, adding a child to it now would be too much."

Ranma hadn't really thought about it. "W-what are the chances of you g-getting p-p-pregnant?"

"A lot better than I like. Why do you think I wanted to use condoms? Why I bought them? I knew there was a good chance that I could get pregnant. I got them to lessen the risk. And, you up the risks just because it reduced some of the sensations. Ranma you fucking idiot!" Akane ranted.

Ranma paled and looked down. "S-sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"You never do!" Akane stomped into the tent, fuming.

Ranma just sat at the tree, hoping he hadn't messed up things more by getting her pregnant.

Akane sat in the middle of the tent, curled up into a ball, crying. She wanted to know how her moron of a fiance could be so utterly stupid. She TOLD him he didn't want to risk having a kid yet, but he went and did it anyway. That stupid jerk.

Akane tried to figure out why she loved him. Why that even now she would welcome him back into the tent and touch her in ways she'd kill anyone else for doing. He was self-centered, stupid, insensitive, and a natural-born jerk. Yet she knew better than anyone else how kind and gentle he could be during the brief times they were alone. She didn't know what to do with him, but couldn't imagine life without him anymore. They may love each other, but they still had so many problems. At least she had put the fear in him.

Akane blinked. FEAR?! She cursed herself and her own stupidity. The entire reason they were there was to REDUCE his fears not add to them. Why couldn't that idiot have just used a condom?

Akane sat in the tent for another half-hour, not wanting to talk to him until sufficiently calm, and to get an idea of what to say. She didn't want to scare him even more. She exited the tent and saw her lover had not moved. "Ranma?" she asked tentatively.

Ranma looked up at her, sadly. "Akane, I'm sorry. I just... ah..."

"Ranma, it's okay." Akane smiled sheepishly. "I'm a little worried that I might get pregnant. The chances aren't really that great. I mean some people have sex thousands of times, but never get pregnant with no fault to either person. I just didn't want to take the risk even if it's something like one in ten thousand."

Ranma looked at her quizzically. "Is it really that hard to get pregnant?"

"Maybe not that hard, it's just a guess. If just making love to the girl was all that was needed, families with a dozen children or more would be common place. So, don't worry about it." Akane tried to wave the whole thing off. "Just for MY piece of mind, remember to use condoms."

Ranma pouted. "But, what if you do get pregnant?"

"Then I'll be a mother of a child with an aunt and grandmother who would spoil him rotten and help take care of him. I wouldn't be able to finish school. And, it would increase our responsibilities. Overall, it'd be a lot of changes, but with our loving and supportive families it wouldn't be too much of a problem." Akane's voice became soft, almost yearning as she talked.

Ranma frowned. "You sound like you actually want to get pregnant."

"Perhaps part of me does, but I'd really rather wait until we're ready before getting pregnant. That means I want you to use condoms unless I say it's all right not too. Understand?" Akane insisted.

Ranma nodded. "Ask first."

Akane kissed Ranma and then purred, "Now let's do it the way you were suppose to."

Ranma smiled and nodded. He followed Akane back to the tent.

* * *

While Ranma held little qualms in borrowing moves from other people, he didn't like fighting completely in someone else's style. It didn't feel natural for him, but if Akane was going to defeat Shampoo- she needed to know the Amazon's weaknesses.

Akane was a little upset at how much Ranma was being hindered using someone else's forms of combat. Mostly because she was barely holding her own in the sparring match. Had Ranma been serious, she would still have no hope of winning even with her improved skills.

As they continued their session, Ranma saw Akane leave an opening that would be hard for Shampoo's style to exploit, but another dozen schools would make her pay dearly for it. Ranma decided to use it as an example, so she hooked her foot around Akane's ankle and sent her to the ground.

"Wha... That move isn't one Shampoo uses," Akane growled angrily.

"It may not be, but it could be." Ranma waved her finger at the prone girl. "Just because you've never seen her use a certain style doesn't mean she doesn't know it. She has seen countless fights and may have picked up moves like that one. You must be on guard for anything. I am sure she holds back in fights, not using everything she knows unless she has too."

Akane shook her head. She had been focusing on how to defeat Shampoo quickly, it hadn't occurred to her she'd might have been holding back some moves. "All right, let's try that again."

Ranma nodded and they resumed their sparring session. Akane tightened her fighting style, leaving less openings. After a while Ranma wanted to see how perceptive Akane was and let loose a couple of comments about Shampoo's superiority in fighting to get Akaneken activated and then started to dodge the attacks. After a moment he yelled, "Stop!"

"What? Want to stop because I had you on the ropes?" Akane smirked.

"Nope, you lost. One punch and you're at ground-zero for Hiryu Shoten Ha," Ranma said as he waved his hand towards the dissipating chi spiral.

Akane paled. "Why did you do that? Shampoo doesn't know that move."

"Doesn't she?" Ranma scowled. "Or is it she's never been in a position to use it? Akane, she's the old ghoul's great-granddaughter. She is bound to know Hiryu Shoten Ha, Bakusai Tenketsu, Tenshin Amaguriken and other attacks I haven't seen yet."

Akane looked at her chi as it dissipated, and realized he was probably right about that. "Am I really that far behind in training? That Shampoo is actually much better than me?" she muttered to herself.

Ranma heard her, and replied, "Yeah she is. But that's what all the training was for, to give you a chance of winning. While I only expected to teach you only one attack, you developed the chi attacks. I'm still not sure if you could defeat Shampoo if she goes all out, but I don't expect her to. She'll likely be overconfident in her first battle. Her rematch, however, will likely be a tough battle."

"So, where does this put me on the power ranking?" Akane wondered.

Ranma shrugged. "You're still under Shampoo. You probably could take Ucchan out as long as you fight up close and didn't give her time to prepare for the fight."

* * *

Akane sighed as she looked at Ranma, asleep in his seat on the train. She suppressed her urge to snuggle up next to him as she knew she'd fall asleep and possibly miss their stop.

Akane smiled. He was hers. Proven beyond a doubt, he was hers. Shampoo, Kodachi, Ukyou, or anyone else could not have him, Ranma was hers. She regretted many of the actions in her past. She had come close to driving him away on a several occasions, and yet he had always returned to her. As much as she accused him with running off with the other girls, she knew that was false, he was faithful to her.

Akane was worried though. Her future with him, while no longer concerned about losing him to the other girls, was still shaky at best. Sure, she would marry him and hopefully bare his children, she was worried about the insanity of his life. Losing her virginity to his cat side was just the latest of the abnormal events of her life with him. She no longer thought that the insanity would end with marriage. She believed now it would continue, possibly getting worse. She hoped it would decrease, but an end to it would not happen. What would be the next strange and unusual event to strike? Demon invasions? Another kidnapping? She didn't really want to know. She didn't really want to be part of it, but for the person she loved, she would be part of it.

Akane senses became alert as she heard Ranma talk in his sleep. "Ucchan... Ucchan don't leave."

Akane frowned. He was hers, how dare he dream of Ukyou?

"I'm sorry... I love you...," Ranma mumbled.

Akane's aura started to flair, her fist poised to pound him.

"...as a best friend... as a sister...," Ranma continued.

Akane quickly powered down and smiled. He was probably dreaming of the talk he would have to have soon with Ukyou.

"I don't want you to leave... I want us to be friends," Ranma insisted.

Akane could tell that Ranma was not liking how Ukyou replied to his statements.

Sorrow was thick in Ranma's words. "I'm sorry... I love Akane... I'm going to marry her... nothing will change that."

Akane's smile grew bigger, she decided it would be best to wake him from his nightmare. She leaned towards him and gave him a deep passionate kiss.

Ranma awoke to the kiss. Panic initially set in until he opened his eyes, seeing it was Akane who was kissing him. When he wrapped his arms around her, she broke it off.

"Hi there, sleepy head," Akane greeted.

Ranma now noticed he was on a train and quickly let go of Akane. "Um, er, Akane... ah..." he started to stammer.

"Why'd I wake you like that?" Akane questioned, and continued when he nodded, "You were talking in your sleep and apparently dreaming about telling Ukyou about us, and it wasn't going to well. I decided to wake you with a kiss because of what you were saying."

"Oh," Ranma expression became solemn.

"We'll have to work out something to help you explain things to her," Akane offered.

Ranma nodded slowly. "Yes, we will... I don't want to hurt her."

* * *

Author's Note:

Before you start screaming to me about volume 32 - Battle Dougi, I know about this story. It is of my opinion that the Dougi gives a person Ultimate Potential of fighting with their body as it is. In the story Akane was moving at her fastest and strongest, plus her perception was at its best. This does not mean anything in concern with chi. Chi is an attack based on mental abilities, and not physical. The Dougi would have to some how teach Akane to throw chi attacks, and I don't see it just giving her the ability anymore than it could teach Akane to use Hiryu Shoten Ha or Bakusai Tenketsu. It could only give her the ability to use mostly physical moves such as Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken (she pulled off a Chun Li's style kick in the story).

The moves Akaneken and Akane Ha are so named for multiple reasons: First, Akane named them after herself as Akane's fist and Akane's blast. Second, Akane translates as certain shades of red color, to which anger is associated to at least one of those shades. This leads to an extended translation as anger fist and anger blast. There is a third reason, but that would be giving some things away.

The Akaneken's and Moukoken's (Fierce tiger attack) Bakusai Tenketsu effect is caused by the move infusing chi into anything it comes into contact with the punch and rips it apart. The chi in living things resist being pulled apart, greatly lessening the effect but is painful to the victim.

Just a note for those who think Akane advanced too much in this. One, with two days of speed training Akane still hasn't truly mastered Tenshin Amaguriken, which Ranma managed it on his first try when he found a suitable medium to train in. She's a lot closer to learning it, but seriously needs to learn control. Also, remember Akane came up with Akaneken on her own. It was the excessive anger triggered by her rape that released the move, and not anything Ranma has taught her. Ranma would not have been able to teach her Akane Ha during this trip, unless she first learned Akaneken. True I could of made things slower or come up with some outrageous training tactic to speed up Akane, but I need Akane to advance to a certain point for later on (and not for reasons you might think).

Thanks to David Tatum, Byran Neef, The Rams, and William Jones for going over the original version and everyone who has sent me C&C.


	5. First Steps

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

** Chapter 5 - First Steps**

* * *

Ranma sat at the psychologist's waiting room, fidgeting. Akane rested a hand on his forearm. It was already past five o'clock and the doctor had yet to see them.

The receptionist called, "Saotome Ranma, the doctor will see you now."

Ranma and Akane stood up went into the doctor's office.

"Hello, please have a seat," greeted the doctor.

Ranma studied the doctor as he moved to sit down with Akane as she now held onto his hand.

"Um, Dr. Tofu said you might be able to cure my fear of cats," Ranma said a little nervously.

"That is what I specialize in, curing phobias." The doctor flipped through a file. "Dr. Tofu said that you'll be a difficult case. Can you tell me why?"

"Didn't Dr. Tofu tell you?" Ranma questioned.

The doctor nodded slowly. "In part, but I want to hear the whole story in your own words."

Ranma sighed. He hated the idea of talking about this, but the reason he had to was holding his hand. He never wanted to hurt her again. "Well, when I was six-years-old, my Pop came across a martial arts training manual that told of how to teach an unbeatable fighting style called Nekoken. Pop, in all his infinite stupidity, decided to train me, but didn't bother to read the entire thing."

Ranma closed his eyes. "The means to train someone in Nekoken is to wrap the subject in fish sausage and throw him into a pit of starving cats. Repeat until subject frees himself. If my old man had read the whole thing he would have found out that Nekoken was banned because it drove people insane. Ever since then, a kitten can scare the hell out of me."

The doctor's eyes widened. That was more than what Dr. Tofu had told him, and sounded entirely unbelievable that anyone would be that insane to do such inhuman training to their own child. However, being trained to be a psychologist, he came across a few demented case files that left many who had read them with sleepless nights. If this had not been a referral, he would be far more skeptical. "Can you describe the sensations you felt when you were being trained?"

Ranma shook his head. "Not really, I can't remember much of the training. Just the meowing... the claws... and the eyes... the piercing eyes..." He shivered uncontrollably.

The doctor nodded, observing the boy's words. "Do you dream about the training?"

Ranma shook his head. "No."

"Yes he does," Akane interrupted. "He's been having nightmares about that."

"I have?" Ranma became even more uneasy.

"Yes, you've been waking me up with you're screaming," Akane insisted.

Ranma blushed a little and started fidgeting in his seat.

"Can you tell me what he's been screaming?" the doctor asked.

Akane gripped Ranma's hand tighter and closed her eyes, meekly saying, "Basically he screams, 'Please daddy, don't send me in,' 'I don't wanna learn this technique' or, 'Let me out.'"

Ranma shivered.

The doctor paled. "Why would anyone do that to their own child?"

"He's an idiot who holds martial arts above all else," Ranma grumbled irritably. "He has made my life hell. The only good thing he ever did was get me engaged to her, but of course screws that up by engaging me to other women as well."

The doctor blinked. "You were engaged to more than one woman?"

"Still am. I've got three, well two fiancees and a nut case that thinks she is as far as I know." Ranma shook his head.

The doctor shook his head. "You live an interesting life."

"I haven't told you half of it. But, that's besides the point. I need your help curing me," Ranma insisted.

The doctor nodded. "Okay, first explain how and what happens when you go into Nekoken."

Ranma frowned. "When I get really scared and a cat is present, my mind will shut off and I behave like a cat. The cat will have the same feelings for someone as I do and act accordingly. I remain that way until splashed with water or lose consciousness."

"Is that really much of a problem?" the doctor wondered.

Ranma stood up and shouted angrily, "IS THAT A PROBLEM?! While in Nekoken, I am unbeatable. If I hate your guts, I will rip them out of you, no matter how good of a fighter you are. If I see you as a mate, I will have sex with you, whether you want to or not."

Ranma slumped back into his seat. Akane drew back into her seat and blushed.

The doctor shook off the angry outburst and noticed Akane's reaction and said, "I take it that second part has happened."

Akane reluctantly nodded, while Ranma cursed at himself.

The doctor paused a moment in though. "Dr. Tofu was right in saying this will be a challenge, as your fear is ingrained into your psyche. I may not be able to cure it completely, but I might be able to lessen the fear."

Ranma nodded and looked hopeful.

"It'll take a while though. You need to become desensitized to the presence of a cat. That is accomplished by first showing you pictures of a cat and slowly build up to the point where you can actually hold one. It usually takes months for that to happen, but it might take years for you due to how you got the fear," the doctor finished with a frown.

Ranma nodded, the hopeful look was gone. "So, what are we suppose to do before then. I don't want to kill someone or rape her again."

Akane slapped Ranma on the arm. "I wouldn't call it that. Next time I'll be better able to deal with it. Now if only your cat side had some sense of modesty and didn't try to do it in public."

The doctor took a moment to think. "You might want to see if you can train his cat personality to have sex only at certain places, much like training a cat to use a litter box. As for avoiding killing someone, I can't help much except suggest that you warn people you hate they might get hurt."

"How would we train him?" Akane asked.

"Do everything in your power to prevent him from having sex except when you're in a place where it'd be safe. If you're near a safe place lead him there and allow it to happen."

Ranma paled.

"So, never leave home without a water gun," Akane replied, a little jokingly.

Ranma looked at Akane, stunned.

She looked at him, saying, "I told you before I'm not THAT adverse to your cat side. If it prevents you from trying to do it in public, then I have to do it."

The doctor nodded, "I'll set up some preparations to start desensitizing you next week."

Akane pulled out a water gun from behind her back. "We could start now."

The doctor blinked in confusion. "Where did that come from?"

"It's a hidden weapons trick one of my friends showed me," Akane grinned.

"Mousse taught you that?" Ranma screeched.

"Yeah," Akane replied a little sheepishly.

Ranma growled, "Remind me to hurt him for teaching you to hide the mallet."

The doctor shook his head. "Okay, we can start by showing pictures."

"Um, Doc, there is something you should know." Ranma sighed. "The reason water can snap me out of Nekoken is because of a Chinese curse that turns me into a girl when I get hit by cold water. Hot water returns me to normal."

The doctor blinked and flipped through his files. He found what he was looking for and read, "Ranma is not delusional. Anything he says, while sounding impossible, is probably true. This includes talk of a Chinese curse, it is real."

The doctor blinked again. "Ooookay." He went over to a shelf filled with photo albums and pulled out one labeled, 'house-hold pets.' He opened it and pulled out a photo.

Ranma watch him a he turned the photo around, showing a very cute gray and black kitten. He promptly screamed like a little girl and jumped into Akane's arms.

Akane's face was flushed with embarrassment. "You can be really pathetic."

"This... this is bad," the doctor commented, shaking his head.

Elevator music began to play in the office, as Ranma got off of Akane.

"Oh, that music means your time is up. Um, I'll give you some pictures. A couple times a day attempt to look at them. Set an appointment with the receptionist on your way out for next week." He took a couple pictures from the album and placed them into an envelope, which he handed to Akane.

Ranma said, "Thanks, Doc."

Akane got up, bowed, and left.

The doctor thought he could make a career off this guy.

* * *

Akane and Ranma held each others hand as they walked across Nerima, only letting go as they arrived home for the first time since they left for the training trip. They had no plans to tell anyone about Ranma seeing a psychologist.

"We're home," Akane called.

"Welcome back, how was your training trip?" Kasumi greeted.

"It was great," Akane replied.

"I'm sure it was," Nabiki interjected. "And I want details." She then grinned as the young couple blushed.

"So boy, have you gained better control of Nekoken," Genma asked, as he arrived with Soun.

Ranma shook his head. "Not really."

"We do have some ideas to help him gain control, though," Akane added.

* * *

After Kasumi politely asked Ranma to clean the dishes, Soun and Genma decided to take a late night walk... to a local bar. Nabiki wondered if Kasumi actually planned that or was just lucky, because it removed the possibility of the men from eaves dropping into the talk between the Tendo sisters.

Akane sat nervously on her desk chair. Kasumi sat on Akane's bed, a pleasant smile on her face. Nabiki also sat on the bed and eyed her little sister closely.

"So," Nabiki began. "Are you going to tell us about your 'training trip?'"

"I learned a few new martial arts moves and increased my speed greatly," Akane answered, proudly.

"That's wonderful," Kasumi congratulated.

"Anything else?" Nabiki asked.

"Ah, um, not much else to tell. Nothing I did for Ranma really helped," Akane replied sheepishly.

"Now Akane, you know you can't hide anything from me," Nabiki pressed.

Akane blushed. "What would I hide?"

Nabiki shook her head. "I know you had sex with Ranma during your training trip."

Akane attempted to sound angry. "What makes you think that?"

"Because you're blushing for one and you get an odd smile whenever you look at Ranma. A smile I usually see on girls who recently done the deed," Nabiki informed.

Akane looked at the floor, knowing there was very little she could really hide from her sisters. She finally said meekly, "You're right. I did make love to Ranma."

"So, what's it like?" Kasumi wondered.

Akane and Nabiki look at the eldest sister, shocked.

"What? Can't I wonder about that?" Kasumi returned defensively.

The younger sisters began to laugh, but soon all of them were.

"Well, as big sis so eloquently put it, 'what's it like?'" Nabiki asked.

Akane's face was deep red. "It's hard to describe really. The sensations of pleasure and ecstasy come in waves as he, um, well, plays with my body."

"Is he good at it?" Kasumi asked.

Akane nodded. "Yes. I think he... you know... 'practiced' on his female body."

"You're not upset about that?" Nabiki jokingly asked.

"Why would I be? It may make him a pervert, but one that knows what's he doing," Akane retorted.

"Are you going to marry him soon?" Kasumi asked.

Akane blinked at the abrupt change in topic. "Um, not sure. We're more concerned with Nekoken right now. I won't push the issue, but if he asks, I'd say 'yes.'"

"What are you going to do about Nekoken?" Nabiki asked.

"We're working on desensitizing him to the presence of a cat," Akane replied. "I'm also trying to reduce his other fears, but that hasn't helped. I think he's scared he's going to hurt Ukyou's feelings."

Nabiki smirked. "Well, thanks to your outburst Friday, he'll have to do it soon."

"What?!" Akane screeched.

"Several students heard you when screamed your love for him," Nabiki informed smugly.

Akane massaged her forehead. "Oh, great."

"Fortunately there are two rumors based off that. One that you professed your love, and the other you denied it," Nabiki added.

Akane blinked. "Huh?"

"The next word you screamed after 'I love you too' was the word 'not.' That rumor isn't well accepted, though, as you two have been away from school since Friday." Nabiki grinned devilishly. "Most think you two ran off and eloped."

"The joys of the rumor horde," Akane said sarcastically. "Which one does Ukyou believe?"

"That you denied you love him. No one wants to be the one to tell her the other rumor," Nabiki answered. "What are you going to do if he goes into Nekoken?"

Akane took a deep breath. "If he ends up going into Nekoken away from home I have to stop him by any means possible. At home, I have to lead him here and allow him to have his way with me."

"What?!" Kasumi and Nabiki screeched.

Akane meekly informed, "If we can properly train him by doing that, he'll stop trying to have sex away from here and may try to lead me here."

"Are you sure you want to try that?" Kasumi asked.

Akane nodded slowly. "Having a little more experience, it won't be nearly as bad as that first time. If it'll keep him from trying to do it in public, I'm going to try it."

"Okay, have you thought about getting birth control pills?" Nabiki asked.

"Um, no. I wasn't sure they were legal," Akane answered.

"They've been legal for a couple years. Besides, even if they weren't, I could get you some," Nabiki corrected.

Akane glanced towards the direction of the kitchen where Ranma should be. "I guess I should get them. I don't know if I can put a condom on him when he's in Nekoken."

"I'm sure he'll like it even better when he doesn't have to use one at all," Nabiki commented.

Akane nodded. "He certainly complained about it."

"You should make an appointment to go to a family planning clinic soon," Nabiki said. "Now lets get back to talking about what's it like..."

* * *

Ranma was looking rather nervous, while walking with Nabiki through Nerima's shopping district. To be safe, the girl was holding a rather large water gun.

"You're sure you want to do this? You don't have to do it," Nabiki asked, not particularly liking the idea of someone dumping a lot of money on someone else, even her own sister.

"Yes I do. Thanks to me, Akane's life is anything but normal. So, I want to try to do this as everyone else does, something normal," Ranma answered.

"Most people try to come up with unique ways to do this. You, however, want make it unique by trying to do it normally," Nabiki joked sarcastically.

Ranma nodded.

"So how much money do you have on you?" Nabiki inquired.

"Ninety-thousand yen," Ranma replied.

Nabiki's eyes widen in shock. "How did you get so much money?"

"I got Pop to give me some of it, then I rented him to the zoo." Ranma grinned. "I wonder if Mom will get upset if she finds out he's had an affair with a panda."

Nabiki's laughter was infectious and lasted longer than it should have. Finally catching her breath, she entered a jewelry store, followed by Ranma.

Ukyou caught a glimpse of Ranma just as he entered the store, not seeing Nabiki. She wondered what he was doing and took a peek inside and saw him looking at rings, engagement rings. She grinned and mentally cheered that he had finally decided. She promised herself to look surprised when he proposed, since Akane had rejected him and there was no way he'd go with a cat or a lunatic. She turned around and sat down on the sidewalk, lost in daydreams. She never did notice that Nabiki was with him.

Several minutes later, the door to the shop opened startling Ukyou out of fantasizing about her life with Ranma.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Ranma asked.

"Of course she'll like it," Nabiki intoned as if Ranma asked this question several times already. "The ruby is a nice touch."

Ukyou froze in shock. A ruby would be something for Akane, not her. He couldn't have chosen that kitchen destroyer after the girl denied being in love with him. She was his cute fiancee and she loved him the most. His father ruined her life and her father's. He couldn't have possibly picked anyone else. He had to marry her, not Akane.

"RANMA, PREPARE TO DIE!" was all the warning that was given before Ryouga dropped toward Ranma, ready to attack.

The ground exploded where Ranma and Nabiki had been previously. Nabiki had been pushed out of the way by Ranma, but that caused her water gun to break, spilling its contents on the ground.

Ranma stood in a battle stance several feet away, wondering how much the pig-boy knew of what happened.

Ryoga stood up in the mist of concrete that settled around him. "How dare you attack Akane! You jerk!" He ran at Ranma full tilt.

Ranma flipped over him, landing a kick to Ryoga's back. He guessed his old friend only heard about what happened last week, Monday. He ducked under a spinning punch. "Hey, she already forgave me about that."

Ryoga launched a series of devastating punches, all of which, missed. "She is too kind to hold hate for long. She'll forgive anyone for everything. But I haven't forgiven you."

Ranma continued dodging the various punches, and landed several of his own, for what good it did against Ryoga's thick hide. "You've never forgiven anybody for anything."

"I have to forgiven people," Ryouga protested.

"Who?" Ranma mocked while getting a few quick strikes just below the left ribs.

Ryoga's attacks let up for a moment. "Akane for hitting me."

Ranma leapt back and remained on guard. "Oh, please you asked for that and you love her. Anyone else besides Akane?"

After a moment Ryoga emitted a bestial scream as he pressed his attack. His attacks grew in speed and ferocity.

Ranma knew he had to end this soon, but then was caught in the gut by Ryoga's knee, sending him flying into a near by store window.

"OH SHIT!" Nabiki screamed as various house pets, including a couple cats, scrambled out of the broken pet store's window.

"Meow," emitted Ranma as he jumped out of the store and onto the sidewalk.

Ryoga blinked. "Shouldn't he be running around scared?"

"No, we should be. RUN!" Nabiki yelled.

Ryoga, knowing about Nekoken, decided it might be best to do just that. He turned and ran.

Ranma, seeing his prey starting to run, pounced at him. Both of his hands landed on Ryoga's head, sending him hard into the ground face first. Ranma checked his prey for signs of movement, and found none. He bit into Ryoga's shirt and ran off with him towards the Tendo home.

Ukyou had remained out of the action. First, she watched a typical fight between Ryoga and Ranma, waiting for her fiance to win. When Ranma went into the Nekoken, she was shocked at how fast he went into it and then what he did to his rival. She decided to follow them to at least save Ryoga and hopefully confront Ranma.

* * *

Akane was at home helping Kasumi cook. Soun had decided to go look for Genma, and avoid his youngest daughter's questionable culinary skills.

Kasumi smiled a fake smile. "You're improving, but next time leave out butter from Miso Soup."

Akane frowned and looked at the recipe. "Huh, I could've sworn it said one stick of butter." She clenched her fists. "Damn it! He'll never want to marry me if I can't cook."

Kasumi was now smiling genuinely, "I'm sure Ranma appreciates the effort."

Akane blinked, mentally cursing her big mouth. She laughed nervously. "Don't let Dad or Uncle Saotome know I said that. I'm not sure if I want to get married before the week is over."

"You probably should marry him soon, though." Kasumi was prevented from saying more by a loud thud.

Akane's and Kasumi's attentions were drawn to the noise. At the door separating the dining room from the kitchen was Ranma, standing on all fours, before a comatose Ryoga.

"Meowr," Ranma uttered.

Kasumi gasped.

Akane swallowed hard, knowing what she had to do. She looked at Ranma with dread... and a little bit of anticipation. "Um, Kasumi, you tend to Ryoga. I'll keep Ranma, ah, distracted. Don't go near him until I say it's safe, no matter what." She then moved towards the door to the hallway.

Ranma noticed her movements and went to pick up Ryoga.

"No!" Akane shouted. "Leave him there. Follow me." She was walking backwards and bumped into the refrigerator on her way towards the door.

Ranma obeyed and moved towards Akane without Ryoga. After a couple feet, he looked as if he was going to pounce on her.

"NO! Follow me!" Akane ordered as she moved as quickly as she could through the hall, backwards. "Wait!" she ordered as he once again looked ready to pounce.

Akane shouted several more times of 'No' and 'Wait' as she led him to her room. Once inside she ducked around the side to let Ranma pass her. When he entered the room, she shut and locked the door.

Ranma moved toward her. "Wait!" Akane ordered as she pulled a condom from her pocket and quickly took her pants and panties off. He once again moved toward her and again was ordered, "Wait!" This time Akane moved toward Ranma with her left hand outstretched, suggesting stop.

Ranma saw the object in her right hand and swiped at it. Akane saw this and drew back her hand, dropping the condom. It landed in a couple pieces.

Akane sighed in defeat, seeing just how much her lover hated condoms. She untied the draw sting of his pants with her right hand and pulled down both pants and boxers.

Ranma shook the pants off his legs. The sight of this added fuel to the fire between Akane's legs that was started in the anticipation of what was about to happen. With the pants off, no words could reach him as he quickly pawed Akane into position. He was happy that his mate seemed willing this time. He moved over her and gently nipped the ends of her hair and began to mate with her.

* * *

Ukyou arrived at the Tendo home. She saw Kasumi tending to Ryoga, who was just now waking up.

"Are you all right?" Kasumi asked.

"Where is Ranma? He's in Nekoken," Ryoga said, not paying attention to Kasumi.

"I know. Akane is dealing with him upstairs," Kasumi answered tenderly.

Ukyou, seeing Ryoga was fine, ran towards the hallway and the stairs.

"Oh, Ukyou, wait. It isn't safe," Kasumi warned, too late for the girl to hear.

Ukyou approached Akane's door and could her moaning. She let out a curse believing the girl was being hurt. She bashed through the door with her giant spatula at the ready. But she was not ready for the sight before her. Akane certainly seemed to be in pain with her fists clenched tight and tears leaking from her eyes while Ranma screwed her like the cat he was behaving like. "What is going on here?!"

Akane's eyes snapped open. "Ukyou! Get out! He's still in Nekoken!"

Ukyou raised her combat spatula in an attempt to brain Ranma. That was answered by a hiss and swipe of his hand. The head of the spatula dropped to the floor.

"Please! Leave now! He might hurt you!" Akane pleaded.

Ukyou stepped back out of her room as she watched the feral look on Ranma face return it's attention to Akane. She couldn't understand what was happening. She stared at them from the hall. After a minute, she saw him stiffen for a moment and then nearly collapsed.

"Good Ranma. Now go to sleep," Akane ordered. She wobbled unsteadily as she moved to stand up.

Ranma nodded and hopped into Akane's bed, curled up, and soon fell asleep.

Akane put her lower clothes back on before going over to Ukyou.

"Wh-what just happened?" Ukyou's mind was in shock.

Akane sighed, "Ranma, at some psychological level, considers me his mate. So when ever he goes into Nekoken, he'll try to have sex with me."

"You're lying!" Ukyou cried out.

Akane shook her head. "What more evidence do you want than seeing what you just saw?"

"Why didn't he try to do that with me then?" Ukyou demanded. "I was there when he went cat."

"It's because he doesn't love you," Akane tried to answer softly, but it sounded smug even to her own ears.

Ukyou slapped the girl. "How can you say that?! He loves me! I know he does!"

Akane, her left cheek bright red, angrily retorted, "Listen here! If he loves you, then while he's in Nekoken you could either calm him or he'll chase after you for in order to have sex with you. Neither of which has happened."

"What he's like as a cat doesn't reflect what he's like as a person," Ukyou retorted bitterly.

"Yes it does. He loves me, so I've been able to control him until last week when I became his mate. He doesn't like Ryoga that much, so he treated him as a mouse," Akane pointed out heatedly.

Ukyou glared death. "I still don't believe you."

"Fine!" Akane pointed at her satisfied lover. "Ask him when he wakes up."

Akane went to close her door but noticed a small box on the floor near Ranma pants. She nervously bent down to pick it up, wondering what it could be yet somehow not believing what it probably was.

"You don't want to do that," said a voice from behind her.

"Nabiki, ah, what's in the b-box?" Akane asked nervously.

"You'll find out soon enough." Nabiki grinned.

Ukyou looked down at the box, remembering now that the one of her reasons for following Ranma was about to confront him about the ring in that box. Her heart froze in realization. "D-do you love him?"

"Yes. I love him," Akane answered firmly.

"But... at school... they said... you denied it," Ukyou stammered.

"That rumor was started from someone who didn't hear everything. No one wanted to be the one to tell you the rest of what she said," Nabiki said.

Tears filled Ukyou eyes as she ran out of the house.

Nabiki thought that had to be one of the worst ways to be dumped. She decided to distract Akane from the ring and from thinking about Ukyou. Nabiki peeked into little sister's room. "Damn. With him curled up like that, I can't tell how big he is."

"What?" Akane screeched.

"You know. How big is his manhood?" Nabiki grinned.

"Nabiki!" Akane shouted angrily.

"Why don't you tell me?" Nabiki pressed.

"I will not!" Akane screamed, slamming her bedroom door shut.

"Doesn't hurt to ask," Nabiki shrugged. "Um, is Ryoga okay?"

"I didn't get a chance to check," Akane replied, her anger turning to concern. She went downstairs without another word, followed by Nabiki.


	6. No More Secrets

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 6 - No More Secrets**

* * *

Akane entered the kitchen, shortly followed by Nabiki. Ryoga lay on the floor, with Kasumi tending to his injuries he received in his short battle with Ranma. The look of concern on Akane's face made Ryoga's heart flutter.

"Did Ranma hurt you?" Akane asked.

Ryoga laughed nervously. "Not at all. Like he could ever hurt me."

Nabiki mentally cursed martial artist pride.

Kasumi cast a worried look at her youngest sister. "Akane, did you have to distract Ranma that way?"

Akane shifted uneasily. "I told you before, I have to try and train his cat side."

"We're you able to use protection?" Kasumi asked, her concern for her little sister apparently blinded her to Ryoga's presence.

Akane took a step back. "Now is not the time to talk about that."

"Akane, I'm worried that you'll become pregnant," Kasumi pressed.

"WHAT?!" Ryoga screeched.

Nabiki shook her head, believing her elder sister blew it big time.

Akane glared at Kasumi, and then looked at Ryoga with concern and fright. "Um... ah..." she uttered trying to think of something to say.

Ryoga was now standing. "What is she talking about?"

"I-it's n-nothing that concerns you," Akane replied.

Ryoga tried to get the facts clear. "She said she's worried about you becoming pregnant?"

Akane was at a loss of how to explain this to him, Nabiki wasn't. "Ranma's and Akane's feelings for each other have advanced to the point to being lovers."

Ryoga's mouth hit the floor.

Nabiki wagged her finger at the boy. "But, the problem with that is, if Ranma goes into Nekoken, he'll want to mate with her. To prevent him from trying that in public, she has started to train him, sex only in her room."

"L-l-l-l-lovers..." Ryoga eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fainted.

"He took that better than I thought." Nabiki smirked.

Akane looked at him. She figured she owed him an explanation, and then wondered if she should wake him up. Her thoughts suddenly stopped cold, as she moved mechanically to the sink and got a glass of water.

* * *

Ryoga awoke, as he had many times in the past, to a sudden down pouring of rain. Such was life with his curse. Something didn't seem right to him, though. He thought it might be about something that happened before he fell asleep. Before he could try to remember it, his senses became alert with the sound of glass breaking. A deep dread filled him as he realized one of his worse nightmares just happened... Akane saw him turn into P-Chan.

Kasumi's eyes went wide. "Oh my!"

"No," Akane whispered.

Then a voice of reason struck. "Run," Nabiki commanded. Which he did, biting his pants and running to where he hoped was the bathing room.

Akane stood there not wanting to believe. She couldn't accept what she had just seen. She just couldn't believe Ryoga was P-chan. A myriad of events she blamed Ranma for flashed through her mind with the realization that her lover had been innocent while Ryoga was the one to blame. Guilt raked her for the times she accused her fiance for being a pervert when he was trying to protect her from this pig. All those fights the two had were over her, not Ranma picking on someone weaker. And Ryoga supposedly did this all because he loved her. All the betrayal, being used against her fiance all because he 'loved' her?!

A dark blue aura flared around Akane, licking the ceiling in its intensity. She then followed Ryoga in the direction he had run off to, fists clenched in anger. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID PIG!?"

* * *

Waking up to the sounds of fighting was not unusual to the Tendo household, unless, of course, you're the one that was usually the participant in those fights.

When Ranma awoke, he was shocked for three reasons: One, he heard the sound of battle occurring downstairs. Two, he was in Akane's bed. Three, he wasn't wearing any pants.

Ranma's thoughts ran, trying to think about what happened before. When he remembered he had been fighting Ryoga, he jumped out of bed and quickly put on his pants. He noticed the ring box had fallen out of it and hoped Akane hadn't seen it. He opened the door and rushed down the stairs.

He saw something he had wanted to see for a long time. Akane held Ryoga's shirt at the collar with her fist, pressing him against the wall next to the front door.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!" Akane screamed.

"Ah, A-Akane, l-let me explain," Ryoga stuttered.

"EXPLAIN! You slept in my bed! Seen me undressed! Heard my deepest secrets! And, you tell me you can explain this to me! RRRRRRYYYYYYOOOOOOGGGGGAAAAA A YYYYYYOOOOOUUUUU JJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRK KKKKKKKKK!" The irate girl pulled back her arm and landed an upper-cut against him.

Ranma winced as Ryoga meet a full powered Akaneken. Hibiki flew through the wall, and out over Nerima.

Akane collapsed to her knees and started to cry. Her friend, one of her closest friends, had been moonlighting as her pet. She couldn't understand it.

Akane's thoughts of her betrayal ended when she felt Ranma's hand touch her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Oh Ranma, I'm sorry. I've been blaming you for so many things that weren't your fault." Her gaze harden as she gazed at the hole in the wall. "It's the fault of that PIG!"

"I'm sorry. I should've told ya sooner." Ranma gazed at Akane for a while. She was crying in his arms. "How about we go out tonight? Just the two of us."

"I-I'd like that," Akane said, choking back a tear.

"Why don't you go get ready?" Ranma suggested. "I'm going out for a moment, I'll be right back."

Akane nodded, stood up, and left for her room.

Ranma watched Akane leave and was startled as he felt Nabiki's hand on his forehead.

"No fever... All right, what did you do with Ranma?" Nabiki asked.

Ranma pulled away from the girl. "What?"

"Ever since last week you've been acting strange. The Ranma I knew would've tried to get Akane to stop crying by fighting with her. And what was this about you telling her of Ryoga's curse? Didn't you promise not to tell anyone?" Nabiki questioned.

"I just don't want to hurt her anymore." Ranma huffed. "And after last Wednesday, she shouldn't have ta suffer from my stupid promises."

Nabiki smiled as Ranma jumped through the hole in the wall. He was finally growing up, but she wished he could've done that without raping her sister.

* * *

Ranma was a couple blocks away from the Tendo house when he stopped. He glanced back toward the Tendo home, wondering how Nabiki knew of his promise and P-chan's curse. He then shook his head, suspecting she might have known the entire time. But he had to wonder why the girl never said anything. There was no way Ryoga could've paid her to keep quiet. Ranma turned away, now was not the time to think about that.

Saotome ran outside of Nerima ward's boundaries when he found where Ryoga landed. He lay in a crater three meters wide. Ranma was relieved to find Ryoga was still alive. He picked him up and ran to Dr. Tofu's clinic.

When Ranma arrived he slid open the door with his foot and called, "Hey, Doc. Incoming."

Dr. Tofu entered the waiting room to see Ranma carrying Ryoga over his shoulder. "What happened?"

"Akane found out that her pet P-Chan and Ryoga, here, are one and the same person," Ranma answered as he entered the doctor's office and placed Ryoga on the examination bed.

Dr. Tofu blinked, and then shrugged, this was Ranma he was dealing with. He began to examine Ryoga's chest. "This doesn't look like damage Akane normally causes."

Ranma shook his head. "It's not. She recently learned a chi based attack based off anger. He got hit dead center by a chi punch that turns boulders into powder."

"Fortunately it doesn't apply to bones. He'll only end up with a very nasty bruise on most of his upper body, but otherwise he's fine," Dr. Tofu informed with a concerned frown. "She'll have to be careful, though, his body is remarkably resistant to injury, a normal person wouldn't be alive when they hit the floor."

Ranma nodded. "Doc, I got to be going now. Tell him when he wakes up that I'll try to help Akane forgive him, so that they can be friends again."

Dr. Tofu smirked. "I will."

* * *

Akane's expression was mixed. She was happy that she was going on a date with Ranma, and that box she saw earlier... Was it? Will he? She was also upset at Ryoga, he was her friend and he abused that friendship in a way no one has ever done to anyone before. She was worried she could get pregnant, she had sex again today and without a condom.

Akane looked through her closet for something to wear for the date. She hoped Ranma had enough sense to not go to Nekohanten. Part of her hoped he would, just so she could rub it in the fact Ranma was hers. Akane frowned, she still had to make Shampoo pay for last week. It was odd that she hadn't seen that stupid cat since last Wednesday.

Akane decided on a long blue dress with a white floral hem. When she went to get some clean panties, she screamed, "HAPPOSAI!"

"Oh, Akane," Happosai elated as he jumped towards her, only to find her hand around his neck.

"Where are my panties?" Akane angrily asked.

"Ack, Kasumi must have them in the wash," Happosai answered nervously.

Akane snarled. "She washed them yesterday."

"Ranma took them?" Happousai replied lamely.

"He doesn't need to. I want my panties, and I want them now!" Akane snarled in anger.

"But I don't have them!" Happousai insisted.

"Fine be that way. I'll go find them." Akane switched Happosai into her left hand, and opened the window.

"What are you doing?" Happosai asked.

"Getting rid of you. If you know what's good for you, you'll never come back," Akane warned.

"Don't want me to join in while you have sex with Ranma?" Happousai taunted.

"Exactly. AKANENEN!" Akane sent Happosai flying far off into the distance. She idly wondered if he would land in the Pacific Ocean.

Happosai's body was racked with pain, but his mind was lost on thoughts of Ranma and Akane in compromising positions when Akane said 'exactly.'

* * *

Ranma returned home and quickly got ready, putting on his Communist worker uniform. It was the most formal looking clothes he owned, not counting the white suit and a dress.

After Ranma finishing getting ready, Nabiki informed him that she got him reservations for Chez Rei's, a semi-fancy French restaurant. Ranma wasn't pleased that most of his remaining money would be spent on dinner, but decided to go along with it. Akane would like it better than going out to where they normally ate. He also hated the lecture Nabiki gave him about proper manners he should use on the date.

Ranma stood at the base of the stairs waiting for Akane to finish getting ready. Nabiki and Kasumi had decided to help her, probably causing Akane to take even more time to finish. He nervously fingered the ring box in his pant pocket. He knew, with near absolute certainty, Akane would say yes, but it still scared him more than any cat ever did.

Ranma nervously started to twiddle his fingers as he heard Akane's bedroom door open. Nabiki and Kasumi were first to appear at the top of the steps.

"Ranma, I present to you, your date for tonight: my sister, Akane," Nabiki declared with the flair of showman.

Ranma's jaw dropped at the sight of Akane clad in a blue dress. She also had make-up to accentuate her features and had a white rose in her hair. He thought his fiancee looked as much like a beautiful goddess that Kuno professed her to be.

"Ranma, how do I look?" Akane asked nervously.

"Beyond cute," he answered without thinking.

"Really?" Akane smiled.

"Yeah," Ranma replied, not wanting to take back his words. "Is that a new dress?"

"No," Akane said with a slight bitterness. The feeling quickly went away as she noticed Ranma couldn't take his eyes off her.

Ranma blushed sheepishly and tried to come up with something to say. Failing to think of something that wouldn't likely get Akane upset, he said, "Um, I guess we should, ah, go now."

Akane nodded and appeared to glide down the stairs. "Where are we going?"

Ranma swallowed nervously. "Chez Rei's."

Akane was amazed that Ranma would take her out there. It was fairly expensive restaurant. She hoped he wouldn't embarrass her.

When Akane reached the bottom of the stairs, Ranma took her by the hand and led her towards the door.

"Be back at a reasonable time, it is a school night," Kasumi said.

"After you finish school tomorrow sounds reasonable," Nabiki added, smirking.

"Nabiki," Kasumi said a little upset.

"Don't worry, Kasumi. I'll bring her back sometime tonight," Ranma said.

"That narrows it down." Akane smirked. "See you later, bye."

Ranma and Akane left arm in arm.

"Do you think they'll get home before ten?" Kasumi asked.

"Probably," Nabiki replied. "Call Auntie Saotome, tell her something important will happen tonight."

"What's going to happen?" Kasumi wondered.

Nabiki grinned. "Ranma is going to propose to Akane."

Kasumi smiled. "That's great."

"Don't tell Auntie though, in case something happens," Nabiki advised.

Kasumi nodded. Nabiki made her way downstairs and prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm going to make sure nothing interrupts them. And, I'm going to video tape the proposal." Nabiki pulled out a camera as proof.

Kasumi sighed. "Just make sure you're not the one that interrupts them."

* * *

Ranma and Akane walked to the restaurant in an uncomfortable silence. Neither sure of what to say.

Akane spoke first. "Where did you go after you asked me out?"

Ranma got a little more nervous. "I went after Ryoga and got him to Dr. Tofu. I wanted to make sure he was all right."

"Why?" Akane growled, her eyes narrowing.

Ranma looked away from her "Because he is our friend. He may not seem like it at times, but he is. I know he hurt you. I also know you'd never forgive yourself if you severely hurt him. I'm not saying you should forgive him, but you should still accept him as a friend. He has too few as it is."

"You still consider him a friend despite the fact he's tried to kill you, tried to take me away from you, and caused numerous misunderstandings between us?" Akane questioned incredulously.

"He also has saved both our lives and some of his bitterness towards me is well founded. I did curse him. He also helped me realize that we felt more between us than just being friends." Ranma sighed. "I just wished my pride and fear didn't prevent me from saying it earlier."

"Why couldn't you say it earlier?" Akane asked, much her anger gone.

"Well, my pride kept me from allowing me to say Pop actually did something right. Then everything got messed up when Shampoo and Ucchan showed up, each with a claim that they had to marry me. If it was just one girl to marry, I'd have ta marry that one. But there was three. Didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings either. Especially yours if we got married too soon."

Akane didn't say anything for a while. "I always thought it was simple. Just chose one and get it over with. I thought you were afraid of commitment. I see I was wrong."

"Well, not entirely wrong. I am afraid of that, but what guy isn't?" Ranma laughed sheepishly.

Akane giggled, hoping he would face that fear soon.

Ranma and Akane were now at Chez Rei's, and entered. A couple seconds later, a fight between Kuno and Mousse swept past the front of the restaurant. Kuno trying to stop Akane's date, and Mousse trying to save it. When Nabiki arrived she hoped Mousse would finish the fight soon in case someone else showed up.

* * *

Using reservations for Tendo, Ranma and Akane were quickly seated. Akane would've like to have gotten a window seat, but the table in the corner they got was nice and private. Ranma liked the table they got, less chance someone would see them and try to stop the date.

Akane looked at the menu, slightly confused. She didn't know what half the dishes were. She ordered the cheapest thing she knew she'd like. Ranma didn't even have a clue what was on the menu, so he just ordered the cheapest thing on it. When the food was served Akane found her meal to be rather good. Ranma looked at his meal quizzically and treated it like Akane's cooking. He ate it, but vowed never to have that meal again. Akane liked that he seemed to hate his meal as much as her cooking.

Ranma and Akane talked about how they'd deal with their classmates and school friends. They decided to avoid saying anything until certain people were dealt with. Ranma was upset to find out that Ukyou knew about what would happen if he went into Nekoken. He would have to talk to her soon. They also talked about Shampoo, to which Akane insisted there would be a fight.

After a while they moved their discussion to safer topics, such as school subjects and who their school friends current love interests were. They debated the pros and cons of pairing up Daisuke with Sayuri.

Ranma looked at the bill with a frown, after paying it he only had three thousand left. He shook his head. He spent more money today than he had in his entire life, not counting what Nabiki swindled from him. Looking at Akane, he knew he'd do it again in a heart beat.

They left with Ranma's arm around Akane's waist. He saw Mousse wave to them from the corner of his eye. Next to Chinese martial artist was two mounds of chains, one had a bokken sticking out and the other had a gymnastics ribbon. Ranma smiled and nodded his thanks. He then moved so that Akane would not see them.

They slowly walked on towards home. Akane thought for sure the box she saw held an engagement ring, and was growing in disappointment as it seemed he wasn't going to propose. Her disappointment turned to hope as Ranma stopped at a bridge. They stared down the river for some time.

"Akane, you know this is one of the places I like to sit down and think," Ranma began.

"Actually you tend to sit under the bridge," Akane corrected.

"Yeah, well, I don't want people being able to know I'm here unless they look." Ranma sighed. "It was under this bridge I first admitted to myself that I was in love with you, and thought you might feel the same."

"When was that?" Akane wondered. Her body began to tingle with expectation.

Ranma gazed down at the water. "Shortly after Ryugenzawa. You were given a choice between me and Shinnosuke, and you came back with me. If we didn't walk home hand-in-hand, I might of just thought you came home just for your family."

Akane closed her eyes. "If you asked me then I would've said it was just for my family and that I really didn't feel that much for him, but looking back now... I can see I was still quite unsure about my feelings. It wasn't until China when I realized exactly how I felt for you and you for me."

Ranma turned towards her, asking, "Akane, can you really love me? With the insanity that is my life, with all my faults and failings, and with my curse... can you love me?"

"I can, and I do love you, Ranma," Akane answered immediately and firmly.

Ranma gathered his courage, praying he could say what he wanted to. He got down on one knee and produced the ring box. Opening it, he asked, "A-Akane, w-will you m-marry me?" He placed the ring on her finger as he asked.

Akane couldn't believe it. She hoped and prayed for this moment. And now she shouted, "YES! Yes, I'll marry you!" She embraced him tightly, and kissed him passionately. Lost in the kiss, they failed to hear someone scream. After a very long moment they pulled away from each other and walked home, holding each other closely.

* * *

Ryoga wandered into the night after waking up an examination table. Dr. Tofu told him to refrain from fighting until his wound healed and that Ranma would help him be friends with Akane again.

It was Ranma's fault. Saotome must have told Akane he was P-Chan. His rival had promised not to tell anyone, but Ryoga was sure that he had. Now the lost boy had no hope for being with Akane.

Ryoga shook his head. He wanted to put Akane behind him. After what he saw happen in Jusendo, he realized that it was over. Ranma and Akane would be together, and yet he couldn't help but want to return to Akane. Even if he could only be her little P-Chan.

Ranma was the cause of all Ryoga's problems. His curse, only being home twice in the past year, that Akane doesn't love him, and all of Ryoga's other problems were Ranma's fault. Saotome would pay for all he had done.

Akane wasn't truly Ranma's yet. Ryoga could still talk to Akane and explain everything. Hopefully she would realize how much he loved her and give him a fighting chance. That's it. All he had to do was...

Ryoga stopped cold. He looked up at a bridge and saw Ranma on one knee in front of Akane, who looked lovelier than he ever remembered. Ryoga couldn't hear what Ranma said, but clearly heard Akane shout, "YES! Yes, I'll marry you!" Hibiki's world collapsed as Akane kissed Ranma passionately. Ryoga had nothing, nothing except Akari. Now he had to find her before Ranma took her away too. He screamed as he ran off into the night.

* * *

Ranma and Akane returned home and were shocked to see the Tendo family and Nodoka waiting for them as they walked through the front door.

"How was your date?" Soun asked, on the verge of tears of joy.

An idea crossed Akane's mind. "Does this tell you anything?" She grabbed Ranma by the shirt and looked ready to knock him out of Nerima.

Ranma's eyes flashed betrayal and fear, wondering why Akane would still want to hide this.

Nabiki looked confused, she had video taped the proposal.

Kasumi shook her head.

Nodoka frowned, she was told something important was suppose to happen tonight.

Soun was upset. When would those two ever admit their true feelings?

Akane grinned as she pulled Ranma closer into a deep, passionate kiss.

Ranma relaxed and wrapped his arms around Akane, returning the kiss.

Kasumi and Nabiki smiled. It had only been a joke.

Nodoka and Soun also smiled, but didn't say anything. They didn't know what to say.

Then Akane raised her hand showing the engagement ring to everyone. She didn't stop kissing Ranma.

Nodoka beamed with pride. Her son had finally chosen who to marry on his own.

Soun's eyes became fixed on the ring. He moved closer, not believing what he was seeing. When he found his voice, he asked, "I-is this what I think it is?"

Akane and Ranma broke of the kiss. The youngest Tendo elated her answer to him, "Yes! Ranma proposed, and I said yes!"

Soun hugged both of them tightly. "Finally! Our families will be joined!" He cried tears of joy, threatening to flood the house.

"Yes," Akane said. "Um, could you... let go... I can't... breath."

"Please," Ranma coughed.

Soun sheepishly let go of them, but his smile never left his face. "Oh, what a joyous day!"

Akane held a strange smile. "Yes, and I like to top it off with a little celebration."

"Of course! We must celebrate!" Soun elated.

"You can celebrate with them. I want to celebrate with him." Akane hugged Ranma tightly.

Ranma blushed and started sweating.

Soun's legs gave out from under him, not expecting Akane to say that.

Kasumi tried to smile genuinely, since it no longer truly mattered if they were married or not.

Nabiki grinned, debating trying to get pictures or not.

"Congratulations! Welcome to the family." Nodoka winked at her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "Enjoy your celebration."

"Oh, I will. We'll talk about wedding plans later," Akane promised, dragging Ranma towards the stairs. Looking at Nabiki, she added, "Unless you want an all-out sparring session, don't you dare even tell anyone about the engagement, or about our sex life, and don't you dare do anything I might hate." She noticed how reluctant Ranma was being. "Come on Ranma, let's go to bed."

Ranma nervously looked at the others, who nodded to his unasked question. He followed Akane upstairs, but stopped at her door.

"What's wrong?" Akane asked.

"It's just, ah, well..." Ranma stammered.

"It's not like we haven't done it before," Akane reminded.

"I know, but this time... they know." Ranma cast a worried look towards the downstairs.

"So, Nabiki and Kasumi already know we've done it. And our parents know it would happen at some point. So, what's the problem?" Akane pressed.

Ranma shifted nervously. "I-I guess I'm just nervous. They might... you know... spy on us."

Akane folded her arms. "They better not. Besides, they don't need to as they know what we're going to do. Now get in here."

Ranma gulped and then nodded. He entered the room, closing and locking the door behind him. "Um, do I have ta use a condom?"

Akane stood there, thinking. She had sex with him a couple times now without a condom, another time might not increase the chances that much. He also hated them.

"I will, if you want me to... it just I'd..." Ranma began.

"...rather not use them," Akane finished. "I know. It's just another time might be what it takes to get me pregnant. I'm rather concerned as it is that I can't use a condom when you're in Nekoken."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "You can't?"

"You destroyed the one I tried to use." Akane sighed. "I-I'll leave it up to you to decide. Just remember I'm still fertile and I might get pregnant."

Ranma took a moment to think. "The thing is you might already be pregnant, or that, if I go into Nekoken again sometime soon, you might get pregnant then. There might be a good chance you'll be pregnant soon, but not using one now adds little to the chance... IF you do become pregnant, it's as you said. We'd have a lot of changes, but we've got our families to help us."

"I take it you decided not to use one." Akane's voice was uncertain.

Ranma pouted. "Akane, if you want me to..."

"Ranma, it's okay. You don't have to. I'm going to worry about being pregnant whether or not we use protection." Akane sighed. "You shouldn't be too concerned though, my fears are based more on... the physical changes I'd go through... and such."

"Are you sure?" Ranma wanted to make certain, yet with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's okay." Akane embraced Ranma and started to kiss him. If they kept talking, their discussion would've been for nothing.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Akane broke off the kiss. "I just need to do one thing before we get too far." She walked over to her desk.

"What do you have to do?" Ranma wondered.

"To take off my make-up. Don't want to get it all over my pillow." Akane giggled sheepishly.

"Oh." Ranma uttered, as he took off his shirt.

"Daddy! What are you doing?" Nabiki's shout could be heard through the door.

"Ah, well, I..." Soun stammered.

"Do you want a sparring session with Akane?" Nabiki asked. "Then don't try to spy on them!"

The young couple heard Soun walk away from the door. Akane shook her head. "Just ignore them."

Ranma laughed nervously. "I'm trying."

"Then let me help keep them off your mind." Akane then pressed her lips against Ranma's, running her hands over his chest.

True to her word, Akane soon aroused Ranma to the point he no longer cared that the others might spy on them.

* * *

In the hall Soun cried. His daughter was all grown up now, and his family line was now, for all intents and purposes, joined.

Nabiki shook her head when she found him spying on them again. "Daddy, I told you not to do that."

"They did it. They really did it! Our families are joined!" Soun cried out in joy.

"Yes, they did and it is. Now leave them be, you've interfered enough in their relationship as it is," Nabiki advised sternly.


	7. Vengeance

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Vengeance**

* * *

Soun, Nabiki, and Nodoka sat in the dinning room. They were in an avid discussion about wedding preparations. Nabiki tried to get them to tone down some of the things they were planning, like cake for five hundred. They all looked up and blinked as Ranma and Akane entered the room and sat down.

Nabiki put on a pair of sunglasses. "I've heard of after-glow, Akane. But that's ridiculous."

Akane was literally glowing with a chi aura of white, red, and pink mixed together. Her blush deepened. "Sorry. I'm just so happy, I can't contain myself." She hugged Ranma tightly.

Ranma fidgeted nervously. "I hope you can contain yourself at school."

Akane sighed. "It's not going to be easy. I'll have to stay away from my friends. As it is I want to run through the streets screaming this to the world."

"Why don't you?" Nodoka asked.

"We still have to work out some problems concerning suitors. It'd be easier to talk to them if it doesn't become public knowledge first, and they deserve to hear it from us first," Akane asserted.

Nodoka reluctantly nodded. "I see."

"When do you want to be married?" Soun pressed. "Sunday should be a beautiful day."

Ranma slammed his hand on the table. "Um, first let us deal with the others BEFORE planning the wedding date."

"Why wait?" Soun almost growled, not wanting his daughter to continue on unwed.

"Daddy, please! Give us time to sort this out first," Akane demanded fiercely. "Or do you want a repeat of the wedding fiasco?"

Soun was taken back by Akane's outburst. "No, you're right. There is no need to rush it now, is there?" He smiled nervously. "Why don't we discuss when to have the wedding Sunday?"

Akane nodded. "We should have a better handle on things by then."

Ranma slouched.

Nodoka gazed at her son. "Ranma, do you know where your father is?"

"Um, er, I got him a temporary job at the zoo," Ranma answered nervously.

"Oh. When will he be back?" Nodoka asked.

"When I pick him up after school?" Ranma meant to sound definite, but it came off more as a question.

Nodoka looked puzzled. "Why would you have to pick him up?"

Ranma laughed nervously. "Well, his job requires him to be a panda."

"What job is that?" Nodoka asked suspiciously.

Ranma grinned sheepishly. "Well, I sorta rented him to the zoo."

Nodoka shook her head, wondering if that was all her husband was really good for.

Akane grinned, barely able to contain her laughter. She liked Ranma's revenge better than the thrashing she gave Genma.

"How could you do that to your father?" Soun demanded.

"How could he teach me Nekoken?" Ranma spat. "I was only six and he mentally scarred me for life! The old man deserves worse than a couple days at the zoo!"

"Nekoken?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma sighed. He had to tell his Mother about it because of how easily he's been going into it. "Nekoken is an ultimate form of martial arts. It is nearly unbeatable. The problem is it also comes with a unnatural fear of cats. A kitten can scare me to death. Whenever I am excessively scared and a cat is present I will mentally shut down and behave as a cat would. Only how I feel about certain people will remain the same."

Nodoka looked aghast. "And Genma did that to you?"

"Yeah, he never bothered to turn the page in the training manual to see it was banned," Ranma muttered angrily.

Soun smiled. "You mean, because you love Akane, you also love her as a cat? You've been in love with Akane since before the first time you went into it."

Ranma nodded firmly. "Yes."

Soun thought for a moment, he knew Ranma had been in love with Akane for some time and his feelings grew deeper as time passed. He then became suspicious as he remembered some of the previous weeks activities. "Now that you're lovers, could that translate into Nekoken? Would you try to have sex with Akane while in Nekoken?"

Ranma paled, failing to think of something to say.

Akane also paled. She decided it would be better if they knew the truth as his cat persona still needed to be trained. "W-while in Nekoken now, he will try to m-mate with me."

Nodoka's and Soun's mouth dropped to the floor.

"Has he... been successful?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma and Akane nodded.

"Was it painful?" Nodoka asked.

"The first time was, but the second time was okay," Akane answered, blushing deeply.

Soun's frown deepened. "The first time was a week ago, wasn't it?"

Akane nodded.

"Was that your first time having sex?" Nodoka asked.

Akane shifted uneasily. "Yes."

Ranma nodded, holding Akane closer to him.

They were thankful when Kasumi arrived with breakfast. Both ate quickly so they could leave. Neither wanted to continue the conversation. There was one benefit, though, Akane was no longer glowing. Nodoka informed Ranma she would join him when he released Genma.

Akane wished she could wear her ring, but kept it in her pocket instead. Wearing it at school would be like raising a neon sign saying, 'I'm really engaged to Ranma now.'

When they arrived at school Kuno, of course, was waiting. Ranma didn't stop to face him. Rather, he ran over the kendo master, dragging Akane along by the hand.

"R-ko runs down Agent K again!" Hiroshi cheered.

"You watch too much anime," commented Daisuke.

* * *

Nodoka waited outside the school gate for Ranma and Akane. She was surprised to see a man wearing Samurai garb and a bokken exit the school, and he looked as if he was waiting for somebody. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen him. She smiled as Ranma and Akane exited the building.

"Hold, vile Saotome, and relinquish the beauteous Tendo Akane and the healthy pig-tailed-girl from your loathsome control!" shouted Kuno.

Ranma stopped his reply as he saw his Mom holding her katana at Kuno's throat.

"What gives you the right to claim such garbage?" Nodoka demanded.

Kuno stood firm, but was also sweating. "I am the Blue Thunder, rising star of the Kendo world of martial arts, Kuno Tatewaki, age eighteen. I, who is Tendo Akane's and the pig-tailed-girl's true love, demand he sets them free of his hideous spell."

Ranma and Akane shrugged, vaguely remembering him spout something about a birthday.

"Ranma holds no control over Akane, it is a family promise and love that binds both of them," Nodoka corrected with steel resolve. "And who is this 'pig-tailed-girl?'"

"A fiery creature with flaming passion that sets my heart on fire," Kuno elated.

Nodoka looked at Ranma, seeing him trying to induce vomiting. "You truly are a dense idiot. You shall leave both of them alone. If they have any feelings for you, they'll go to see you. If not, you'll know they don't."

"But what of his spells that entrap them so?" Kuno demanded.

"My son doesn't knows of any love spells. You are interfering in family matters that do not concern you. If you value your own family's reputation, you will leave them alone. Don't make me show you the true path of a warrior." She sheathed her katana. "Come on Ranma, Akane. We have to get my husband out of the zoo."

An audience had formed to watch the confrontation, only a couple people raised an eyebrow at Nodoka's last statement. Nabiki took bets from two students that Kuno would be convinced to stop his pursuit of Akane, fifty to one odds, and another three bet that Kuno would get killed, twenty to one odds.

Kuno remained frozen in place long after everyone left.

* * *

Akane quickly grew nervous as she walked toward the zoo with her fiance and his mother. "Um, I... I've got to, um, go somewhere right now."

"Where would that be?" Nodoka asked.

Akane blushed as she thought of her excuse, "A family planning clinic. I'd like to get some... birth control pills."

Ranma's face turn deep red as well.

Nodoka frowned. "Why would you want to get those?"

"I want to finish high school first," Akane asserted. "I don't want to miss getting an education."

Nodoka nodded shallowly. "I guess I can understand that."

Akane bit her lower lip. "I'll see you later." She pulled out a hidden water gun and handed it to Nodoka. "Here, in case trouble happens." She ran off quickly.

Akane stopped a couple blocks away and looked back. She couldn't see either of them. She hoped they hadn't followed her. She then walked towards the Nekohanten. It was time to make Shampoo pay.

Akane peaked into the Chinese restaurant and did not see Shampoo. She was probably on a delivery so Akane jumped to the top of a nearby building. She put on her engagement ring and waited for her adversary.

With the sound of a bell ringing which was coming closer, Akane prepared her attack.

* * *

Shampoo passed Hiroshi and Daisuke as she made her way back to the Nekohanten. She didn't like having to work on deliveries today. She needed to work on her plans to deal with Akane. Somehow the violent girl had seduced Ranma and she would make that violent girl pay. She couldn't do it directly since he would never forgive her if she killed Akane. So, far her only hope was that someone would come along and deal with that perverted girl, maybe Ukyou or Kodachi could be goaded into killing her. How to do that?

Shampoo's thoughts were cut short as she felt a strong presence of chi moving towards her. She flipped backwards and heard an explosion occur where she was a moment ago. She landed, seeing a cloud of cement dust obscure her attacker. She thought for a moment about why Ryoga would attack her until a figure stepped out of the cloud shouting, "Shampoo, I'll make you pay for what you've done!"

Shampoo blinked, first at what Akane apparently did and secondly at what she said. "What is adulterous girl talking about?"

"HE IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND!" Akane screamed as she charged Shampoo.

Hiroshi looked at Daisuke, "She didn't deny the sex part."

"By Amazon law, he is," Shampoo retorted dodging Akane's attack. She knew she couldn't keep it up much longer, the perverted gorilla had somehow gotten a lot faster and was trying to exploit her fighting style's weak points. She had to remain on the defensive, but that can be used for a dangerous offensive.

"Your laws, not ours!" Akane took leapt away from Shampoo, seeing that Amazon tried to trap her in Hiryu Shoten Ha. "Look at this ring, Shampoo!" She held up her hand. "Ranma proposed to me! He chose me! And you will not take him away from me!"

Daisuke commented, "About damn time."

Akane gathered her anger in between her hands, "AKANE HA!"

"She's a Saotome now," Hiroshi smirked.

Shampoo jumped out of the way of the chi blast. Akane had done some serious training and she wasn't liking it one bit. "Adulterous girl will be one to pay for seducing Airen!"

"Seducing him?! Do you have any idea what happened?!" Akane charged, but as her opponent attempted to jump over her she grabbed hold of Shampoo's legs and slammed her into a wall. "After you sent him into Nekoken, he raped me! Do you understand?! I was raped because you sent Ranma into Nekoken!" She punctuated her words with, "AKANEKEN!"

Hiroshi and Daisuke shuddered, "Ouch."

Shampoo jumped out of the way, deciding now was the time to go on the offensive with a kick to Akane's back. "Violent-girl lie! Nekoken no can cause that!"

Akane's rage didn't allow her to feel the blow and used the cover of a new cloud of concrete to obscure herself. "Nekoken reflects those emotions he normally feels. He sees me as a lover, so in Nekoken he sees me as a mate. He'll act accordingly."

Shampoo attacked the cloud where she thought Akane was, but the perverted girl had moved after speaking. That unfortunately gave away her own position and took a glancing blow from the chi punch to her side. Pain flared in as she staggered back into a wall.

Akane pressed her attack, her fists covered in fiery chi. "I lost my virginity to a cat because of you, and Ranma can't remember losing his!"

Shampoo's blocks were failing as the hits were very painful. Her mind raced for a means to get out of this.

"It ends now! AKANE TENSHIN AMA..." Akane collapsed onto the ground.

Cologne looked down at both girls and tsked. "Here I thought only Ryoga was stupid enough to know of a self-destructive move. It seems Akane has found her own."

"Great-grandmother, why you interfere?" Shampoo asked.

"If I didn't, I'd have to use a squeegee to gather up your remains. You saw how much damage she did with one hit, you couldn't survive if she did so a hundred times." Cologne glanced at the slumbering girl. "Assuming she actually has the speed and control to actually do that. Which I suspect she doesn't. Still a few dozen blows she was likely to land would at least cripple you."

Shampoo paled. "But Amazon laws say no interfere."

Cologne looked down upon her granddaughter. "There are times to follow the laws and times to let them go. I do not want to lose you child, so I ignored them."

Shampoo blinked in confusion. "You always say laws are absolute. Now you say not always."

"Laws are a guideline to follow, to keep people in line. There are times when those guidelines are wrong and should not be followed. Wisdom will help you learn what times those are." Cologne's eyes hardened on the girl. "Wisdom that you still lack. So don't go and do something stupid."

Shampoo remained quiet, thinking over her new lesson and a little upset over the last comment.

"Help me take her inside. I must talk with her when she wakes," Cologne ordered with absolute authority.

Shampoo scowled at the demand, but did as she was told.

"I believe some ramen is in order," Daisuke said.

"Quite right," agreed Hiroshi.

Cologne smirked at the boys. She would need their help keeping Akane calm once she wakes.

* * *

Ranma and Nodoka arrived at the zoo and went to where its office was, pointedly avoiding any exhibit with cats in it. They met the weaselly looking person responsible for the bear exhibits.

"Hi, Otonani, I'm here to get Mr. Panda," Ranma said.

"Of course, but I'd like to see ownership papers and proper government papers allowing you to have it, before I can release it into your custody," the official said, looking like a cat who ate a canary.

Ranma hated the smug look the guy had, he had enough of it from Nabiki. "Now listen here. I gave you an opportunity to rent him, there is no way you are going to keep him."

"Without the papers, my hands are tied. You can't leave here with a panda," Otonani asserted devilishly.

"Can we at least visit him and get some hot water?" Nodoka asked firmly, fingering her katana hilt.

Otonani became nervous. "Couldn't hurt." He led them to the back of the bear exhibit where they placed Mr. Panda in a cage.

"Hello, Pop," Ranma greeted the panda.

The panda started to growl turning around to see Ranma. He stopped growling and shuddered as he saw Nodoka. He held up a sign, reading, 'Hello, Dear.'

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How did you teach him to do that? And where do the signs come from?" Otonani asked.

"Don't know," Ranma shrugged.

"Now Genma, what is this I hear about you training my son Nekoken? Are you insane or just plain stupid?" Nodoka demanded brandishing the Nekoken Training Manual.

"Insanely stupid," Ranma answered for him.

Nodoka scowled darkly. "I am sorely tempted to leave you here."

Genma began to sweat. 'I didn't know what it'd do.'

Nodoka threw the book at the panda, but it was blocked by the cage's bars. "Because you were too impatient to read the whole book. Nekoken was banned for a reason. Now Ranma and Akane have paid for you're stupidity."

The panda looked confused. 'Akane?'

"Ranma's feelings are the same if he's in Nekoken or not. Since his feelings towards her is as a lover, he raped her," Nodoka hissed.

"Mom!" Ranma interrupted her.

"That is what happened, isn't it?" Nodoka snapped.

Ranma reluctantly nodded.

Otonani was completely confused at the strange conversation.

Genma was shocked. 'I didn't know.' He flipped the sign. 'Is Akane going to kill me?'

"She had her revenge in her sparring session," Ranma answered.

Genma looked at his arm, and was rather thankful for rapid healing.

Nodoka allowed him to soak in what she said. "Where is the hot water?" she asked the official.

Otonani pointed at a sink with a hose and some buckets near it. Ranma went to fill one of the buckets.

"What was the purpose of renting him?" Nodoka asked.

Otonani edged away from the woman, afraid of what her reaction might be. "We were hoping to use him to mate with a female panda we have. He refused, so we had to procure the semen samples artificially."

Nodoka scowled at her son. "Ranma, did you know about that?"

"Um, yeah," Ranma said nervously.

Nodoka shook her head. Her son had picked up some bad habits from his father. "Change him back so we can leave."

Ranma splashed Genma with the water in the bucket through the bars.

"We have a lot to talk about, Dear," Nodoka said flatly.

Genma swallowed nervously. "Yes, Dear,"

"You will now release my husband," Nodoka ordered the official.

Otonani fainted dead away. Nodoka got the keys from him and released Genma.

* * *

Akane awoke, finding that she was sleeping on something rather hard. She opened her eyes and was scared realizing she was at the Nekohanten. She sat up quickly, preparing to face whatever the Amazon would throw at here.

"Ah, sleeping beauty awakes." Hiroshi grinned at her. He was sitting next to Daisuke and across from Akane at a booth.

Cologne appeared at the end of the booth they sat at. "Hello Akane. Do not worry, you are safe and Shampoo is on a delivery right now."

"Why should I believe you?" Akane demanded.

Cologne attempted to smile innocently. "Well, have I really done anything to hurt your relationship with Ranma for some time?"

Akane thought for a long moment. "Um, not for the past couple months." She then scowled. "Why did you interfere in my fight with Shampoo?"

Cologne leveled her gaze upon the girl. "I stopped you from killing Shampoo. I doubt you wanted to do that."

"Killing her?" Akane paled.

"You were going to attempt to hit her with Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken combined with... Akaneken was it? That combination of multiple hits with a chi enhanced punch would've killed her if I didn't stop you," Cologne informed her with a deadly serious tone.

"The description she gave Shampoo wasn't very pretty, cleaning up her remains with a squeegee." Hiroshi shuddered.

Akane's face turned a sickly color before she bolted from her seat and ran to the bathroom.

Daisuke smacked the back of Hiroshi's head. "That was stupid to say."

"Someone had to say it. That girl needs to learn control," Cologne said.

Akane returned a moment later, her face devoid of blood. "What am I going to do?"

"You can listen to me. Akane, like Ryoga, your chi attacks are self-destructive. By using your move, you tap into an emotion making it flow easier. Ryoga is more depressed than he should be, and Ranma is more confident. If you use anger, you will become easier to anger until such time you only feel anger," Cologne gravely warned.

Akane shuddered.

"Ryoga has refused to listen to me as he feels he needs the move to compete with Ranma. I'm not too concerned with Ranma, though, he needs the extra confidence he gains in order to fight superior opponents like Saffron." Cologne sighed. "Now tell me Akane, does Ryoga know Ranma choose to marry you?"

Akane shuddered again. "I don't think he knows, but he does know we're lovers. The last I saw him was when I found out he was P-Chan."

Hiroshi and Daisuke looked at each, and were, for once, at a lost for words.

A deep dread filled Cologne. "Is he alive?"

"Of course he is," Akane replied bitterly.

"We must find him," Cologne urgently demanded. "If he lets his depression build up too much he could literally explode, leveling city blocks in the process."

Akane nodded. "Should we get Ranma to help?"

"Absolutely not," Cologne barked. "Ryoga would likely attempt to kill him. Where is the last place you knew where he was?"

Akane took a second to remember. "Dr. Tofu's clinic."

"We'll start our search there. Mousse, tend the restaurant." Cologne hopped out on her staff followed by Akane.

Mousse nodded to a plant and continued to take orders from some customers.

"I think now would be a good time to go on vacation," Daisuke said.

"I don't think so. We're probably safer here as he was just in town," Hiroshi returned.

* * *

Akane and Cologne followed Ryoga's chi as he was depressed enough to leave a trail strong enough for Cologne to follow. The frown elderly woman wore deepened as she stopped by a river.

"Something wrong?" Akane asked.

"His depression becomes more intense from here," Cologne replied.

"Why would that... Oh, no." Akane's face was drained of blood as she looked up a bridge.

"What is it?" Cologne wondered.

Akane pointed down stream. "Ranma proposed to me on that bridge last night. He might have seen us."

"We must hurry." Cologne chased after the chi trail.

* * *

Darkness had descended on Cologne and Akane as they tracked down Ryoga. The teenager was scared, they were using Ryoga's chi trail as a source of light now. The elderly amazon was nervous, if she had to fight the lost boy, she could produce a Hiryu Shoten Ha stronger and with more wide spread damage than any she seen before.

Akane knew their search was over when she saw a large moving mass of light in the distance.

"Remember the plan," Cologne said as she hopped away from the girl.

Akane ran to the light stopping a good distance away from it. "Ryoga?" she called.

"Akane?" Ryoga turned around. His massive aura decreasing slightly and then grew even bigger.

"Ryoga, I'm sorry I hit you after I found out about your curse." Akane looked away. "I was just angry... you know how I get when I'm angry."

His chi aura decreased a little. "I know..."

"We never wanted to hurt you," Akane pleaded. "You are a friend to me, to Ranma..."

Ryoga angrily interrupted. "Ranma is no friend! He cursed me! He keeps me away from home! HE STOLE YOUR LOVE!"

"Ryoga! Him cursing you was an accident. It would never happen if you didn't follow him. You are the one who decided to go after him, preventing yourself from going home. And my love is for me to give. You should be happy I love him, because I would have to marry him even if I didn't," Akane angrily retorted.

Ryoga's mouth dropped. "Ranma would force you to marry him!?"

"No, our parents arranged the marriage. They would force it, even if we didn't want it." Akane sighed. "Ryoga, I'm sorry we hurt you. I wish things could turn out better. This whole mess is hurting everyone, but it had to end sometime."

"I wish you could love me," Ryoga said gloomily.

"I-I do love you as a brother," Akane told him nervously, but sincerely.

"Really? You love me?" Ryoga cries of pain turned to tears of joy, his aura waning.

Ryoga collapsed with Cologne standing behind him. "You were pretty stupid trying to convince him that he's the one at fault. You were supposed to make him happy. He might have killed us all."

"I was hoping he realized how stupid it was to blame everything on Ranma," Akane replied.

"Don't you do that?" Cologne accused.

Akane huffed. "I use to."

Cologne leveled her gaze at Akane.

Akane drew back. "I still do at times, but I'm learning to trust him." She then looked at Ryoga. "What do we do with him?"

"Simple." Cologne hit several spots on Ryoga's back and hands. "I've prevented him from concentrating chi. He can no longer throw a chi blast until someone unlocks the pressure points."

Ryoga's body began to release his built up chi into the air.

"Now, Akane," Cologne began. "You will eventually be in the same trouble he was if you continue to use anger as the basis for your chi attacks. There is one way to avoid it without the pressure points."

"Which is?" Akane wondered.

"Use other emotions. Joy, happiness, hope, your love for Ranma, or any other lighter emotion would be better. They may not be stronger, but better for your continued health." Cologne pointed at the unconscious boy. "Ryoga refused the advice because his depression is so much stronger than his other emotions."

Akane nodded. "I'll follow your advice. I came too close to killing someone today. I never want to be in that position again."

"Good. I'd hate it if you killed Shampoo." Cologne glared deeply at the girl.

Akane nervously shift under the gaze and frowned when Shampoo was mentioned. "You do know that I'm going to marry Ranma. There is nothing that will stop that."

"I realized that at the wedding fiasco. It's Shampoo, Ukyou and the Kuno siblings who haven't. I've been trying to convince Shampoo to let Ranma go, distracting her from him, and keeping her busy," Cologne informed smugly.

"You have?" Akane looked at Cologne in disbelief.

Cologne nodded. "Yes. I've especially did those things when she told me what she saw last week. Ranma has given you his love and no one can change that now."

Akane frowned. "Did you know Nekoken might cause him to mate with me?"

"I knew it was a possibility." Cologne sighed with regret. "It is a rare occurrence from a scarcely practiced art, so I wasn't sure it would happen. I thought I had more time before Ranma's feelings advanced to the point which would trigger it. I was hoping to warn you first."

Ryoga moaned as his eyes opened.

"Are you all right?" Akane asked.

"Ah, yeah." Ryoga looked at arms, which were emitting chi like the rest of his body. "What happened to me?"

"I locked away your ability to concentrate chi," Cologne informed. "You'll be emitting you've built up chi for a couple days."

"Why did you do that?" Ryoga demanded angrily.

Cologne scowled at him in a way only an experienced teacher could do. "I warned you before your move was self-destructive. You became so depressed, if you threw off a Shi Shi Hokadan it would have leveled everything for kilometers around and killing many innocent people and yourself in the process."

"Oh," Ryoga uttered remembering why he was so depressed. "Akane, do you really love me?"

"As a brother," Akane replied. "Come on, you can stay at my house tonight."

Ryoga smiled weakly as he took some comfort that Akane loved him. He just wished it was a different kind of love.


	8. Breaking the Love Pyramid

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Breaking the Love Pyramid**

* * *

Akane looked outside the window of her classroom, watching the rain fall. She was waiting for Ranma to bring her lunch he was buying for her from the cafeteria. She was upset at herself for letting Ryoga get lost on her way home. She loved that Ranma had been extremely worried about her after finding out she ran off to fight Shampoo and then went to help Cologne face Ryoga. She was thankful to Hiroshi and Daisuke for telling Ranma what happened, of course they did so mainly to find how good she was in bed. Since Ukyou found out that Ranma was in love with her, the okonomiyaki chef hadn't been to school and that worried the Tendo girl.

"Hello Akane," Yuka greeted, moving a chair next to Akane.

"Hi," Sayuri greeted, taking a chair to flank the Tendo girl.

"Um, hi," Akane returned nervously.

"So Akane, what have you been up to?" Yuka asked. "You've been avoiding us for a while now."

"A lot of stuff has happened, and certain people have to be told before I can say anything," Akane nervously explained.

"Even before your friends?" Sayuri asked.

"I could tell you... but not here, too many people would listen in," Akane tried to reason.

"Oh, and does it have something to do with you screaming your love for Ranma?" Yuka asked.

"Or about you and Ranma going on a training trip?" Sayuri added.

"Please, don't ask. It's hard enough not telling you. I want to tell you now, but I can't," Akane pleaded.

"You can tell them about what happen on our date," Ranma sloshed her way next to the girls, placing down a pair of lunches and sat down across from Akane. "Kuno found out and he's so pissed he only asked me where 'the vile cretin' is."

"How did he find out, and how did you turn into a girl?" Akane asked.

"You can ask your sister how he found out," Ranma spat. "And someone left a window open and with the rain and wind..."

"All right Akane, so what happened on the date?" Yuka asked.

Akane smiled as she pulled out the ring from pocket, putting on her engagement ring under the table. "He gave me this," she said, showing the ring to her friends.

"HE PROPOSED!" Yuka and Sayuri yelled.

Immediately Akane and Ranma were mobbed by students, with the number growing by the second as the news swept through Furinkan like a wild fire. Congratulations, curses, and questions about the availability of Saotome's other fiancees were said.

"Ya didn't have to shout it." Ranma scowled at Akane's friends.

"Sorry," they both replied, sheepishly.

"WHERE IS THE VILE SAOTOME SO I MIGHT STRIKE HIM DOWN!" Kuno bellowed over the mob of students.

Akane got an idea and looked at Ranma. "I'll handle him." The crowd parted as Akane moved to where Kuno stood in the hallway in front of her classroom.

"Ah, the fair goddess Tendo Akane is here to tell me where her captor is. ACK!" Kuno suddenly lost the ability to breathe as the girl grabbed his collar tightly.

Akane pushed her free hand into his face, showing him her engagement ring. "Kuno, you see this ring? It's an engagement ring. Ranma asked me to marry him and I said yes. He gave me this ring as a symbol of his love, and I wear it as a symbol of my love for him. I LOVE RANMA, AND I WILL MARRY HIM! Get it through your thick skull. I am going to marry Ranma because I love him, and not some spell. Even if I didn't, family obligation would demand I marry him."

Akane shoved him into a wall. "One more thing, don't interfere because you THINK I have any feelings for you. I have news for you, I don't. I don't love you. I don't even like you. Get a clue, get a life, and stop chasing after me."

Ranma was now in Kuno's face. "The same goes for me. Except that I HATE YOU! Got that, I HATE YOU! You chase after me or Akane and I will send you to the hospital. Understand?"

"Oh, how the Saotome's cursed spell hurt you so. To make you speak such lies while your hearts scream love," Kuno ranted. "Kuno! We do not lie." Akane turned to the gathered students. "Whoever doubts I love Ranma, raise your hand?"

A couple guys raise their hand then quickly lower it as nobody else did.

"Who doubts Ranma loves me?" Akane asked them.

A few more hands went up out of the crowded room of students.

Akane pointed at herself and Ranma. "Who thinks either of us loves or even likes Kuno?"

No hands were raised.

"See that, Kuno. We are not the ones lying to you. You are lying to yourself. Understand? Almost everyone here can see Ranma and I are in love with each other. They can see we don't like you. Why can't you?" Akane turn around.

Ranma handed Akane her lunch and they both left to find somewhere private to eat.

"Who thinks Saotome binds Tendo Akane or pig-tailed-girl via sorcery?" Kuno asked.

No one raised their hand.

Kuno frowned. "Who thinks I've been deluding myself."

Everyone raised there hand, causing Kuno to sulk as he walked away.

* * *

Ranma and Akane ran straight out of school when classes ended rather than face the other students. They decided to head to Ucchan's to talk to her about the engagement before she found out from a stranger. They stopped cold in their run as a girl with purple hair stood in their way.

"What do you want Shampoo?" Akane asked bitterly.

"Must talk with Ranma," Shampoo answered.

"Can we do this later?" Ranma asked.

Shampoo stomped her foot. "NO! Must talk with Ranma now!"

Akane noticed that Shampoo was upset and had not called Ranma her husband. She also felt a little guilty because she had nearly killed girl. "You're only going to talk?"

Shampoo nodded curtly. "Only talk."

"Ranma, you can talk with her. I'll go see Ukyou." Akane glared at the Amazon. "Shampoo, don't try anything with him."

"Um, all right. I see you later and be careful," Ranma said.

Akane gave him a quick kiss. "You be careful too."

Shampoo scowled darkly at Akane as she ran off.

"What do you want Shampoo?" Ranma asked.

"Want to know if what violent girl say is true. While in Nekoken, Ranma raped violent girl?" Shampoo questioned.

Ranma nodded nervously.

"Why you do that?" Shampoo demanded.

"Because I love her. I want to marry her, and those feelings come out with the Nekoken," Ranma admitted.

"Why do you love violent girl?" Shampoo growled angrily.

Ranma replied, "Her name is Akane, not violent girl. And I don't know why I love her, I just do. Who can truly say why they love someone?"

"I can. Love Ranma's fighting spirit, battle prowess, looks, body, and your carefree nature," the girl affirmed.

"What else?" Ranma pressed.

Shampoo looked confused. "That not enough?"

"I love Akane because she's kind, caring, compassionate, beautiful, stubborn, refuses to be dependent on me, cute, doesn't see me as just a prize to be won, and dozens more reasons I can name and thousands more I can't."

"If Ranma raped Akane, why she still in love?" Shampoo asked.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know. I'm happy she still loves me, but I don't know."

After a moment Shampoo questioned, "Ranma trained Akane to defeat me?"

Ranma reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, I trained her."

The girl looked physically hurt by his words. "You know Akane nearly killed me."

"I know." Ranma sighed. "She feels guilty about it."

"Doubt it," Shampoo muttered. She then fiercely announced, "Ranma, it no matter how you feel. Amazon law states we must marry."

"And my family says I must marry Akane," Ranma shot back at her. "Guess what Shampoo? We're in Japan and what my family says is more important than your stupid laws."

Shampoo started to cry. "No! Ranma can't marry violent girl. Ranma must marry me! Can only go home if married or Ranma dead."

"Shampoo, I'm sorry. I can't marry you," Ranma said trying to maintain his resolve against the crying girl. "You said you can't go home if not married, does that mean you could marry someone else?"

"Don't want someone else. Want Ranma." Her tears were flowing freely.

Ranma shut his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry Shampoo, but you're going to have to find someone else to marry. I'm going to marry Akane and that is final. And if you try to hurt or kill either of us or try to stop me from marrying her, you will no longer be a friend but an enemy." He jumped away, and ran across the rooftops.

Shampoo collapsed onto the ground and cried.

Mousse, following direction given by Cologne, silently approached Shampoo. She grabbed onto him, crying on his shoulder. He never said a word.

* * *

Akane arrived breathless at Ucchan's to find it open for business. She entered and saw Ukyou at the grill, her face like emotionless stone.

"Hello, Ukyou," Akane greeted nervously.

"You have some nerve coming in here!" Ukyou screamed, chi aura flaring.

The four customers who were in the restaurant were now gone and money for their food was placed at their seats.

Akane swallowed nervously. "Ukyou, I'd like to talk."

"Why should I talk with you?" Contempt clearly in Ukyou's voice.

"Because if it wasn't for the fact we both love Ranma, we'd be the best of friends. I don't want to lose our friendship and neither does Ranma," Akane pleaded.

Ukyou growled, "You've got five minutes."

Akane shook her head, she wasn't going to make it easy. "Ukyou, I'm sorry we hurt you. I wish you didn't find out the way you did. We wanted to tell you and explain things."

"When were you going to tell me, after the wedding?" Ukyou snarled.

Akane shook her head fiercely. "No, we were going to tell you yesterday."

"Have you told Shampoo?" Ukyou wondered bitterly.

"Yeah." Akane shuddered.

Ukyou smirked. "She didn't take it well?"

Akane shook her head. "I don't know how she took it. I attacked and nearly killed her yesterday while explaining it."

Ukyou looked disbelievingly at Akane. "You nearly killed Shampoo?"

"During my training trip with Ranma last weekend, I learned Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken and two chi attacks. Cologne stopped me from hitting her multiple times using my chi punch. If she hadn't, Shampoo would be very dead."

"I'm surprised you could defeat her even knowing those moves," Ukyou groused.

Akane smiled sheepishly. "She wouldn't if Ranma hadn't also taught me how to exploit her weaknesses. Shampoo is still a better overall fighter than me, but I know how to defeat her."

"Think you could take me?" Ukyou challenged.

"Possibly, but I don't want to fight you," Akane replied without thinking. "I want to be friends. Ranma still wants to be your friend as well. He loves you as a sister."

"A sister?!" Ukyou shouted. "I want him to love me as his wife!"

Akane sighed. "Ukyou, tell me what you think life would be like if you married him."

"Well, either we both run my restaurant or run a dojo, or both," Ukyou answered simply.

Akane frowned. "Would it be a happy, peaceful life?"

Ukyou nodded firmly. "Of course."

Akane shook her head sadly. "Do you realize that could never happen. Peaceful and Ranma don't go together. Where Ranma goes, insanity follows. You will have to deal with demon attack plants, evil princes, never knowing if the animal that found its way into your house is really an animal, and tons of other shit. So far this week I had sex with someone who thought he was a cat at the time, found out my pet pig is Ryoga, got engaged to someone who was already my fiancee, nearly killed someone, found out my chi attacks will eventually lead to my own destruction if I don't change them, stopped Ryoga from destroying an area with a several kilometer radius, my future father-in-law was rented to the zoo, and that's not all of it. The week previous was actually a light week. I only got raped by Ranma when he was in Nekoken, became Ranma's lover, and learned to throw chi attacks."

Ukyou looked at Akane in a state of shock.

Akane locked eyes with the girl. "This won't end when we say, 'I do.' I know this and accept it. The question I ask you is, could you put up with it? Can you honestly say you could live happily ever after, knowing at some point you'll have demons in living room, kappas in your kitchen, and kami knows what else?"

Ukyou shook her head. "Come on Akane, you're exaggerating. There is no way it could be that bad."

Akane folded her arms. "I wish I was, Ukyou. I wish I was. I've had to deal with this for almost a year now. He is cursed to live an interesting life and whoever he marries will have to deal with it too."

Ukyou looked closely at Akane. "You're serious!?"

Akane nodded.

"He raped you!?" Ukyou cried out disbelievingly.

Akane nodded again.

"You're still willing to marry him?" Ukyou pressed.

"You saw me have sex with him while he was in Nekoken," Akane reminded. "I know life will be rough at times, but I'm willing to put up with it."

Ukyou scowled at the girl. "I know Ranma has some interesting adventures, but I think you're just trying to convince me you're doing me a favor for marrying him."

"I guess, in a way, I am," Akane admitted. "Remember when Ranma was hit with the Moxibustion point?"

Ukyou laughed hollowly. "How could I forget?"

"Two days before that Ranma had to save be from a date with Ryoga, because he was trying to hug me," Akane informed.

Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "What was so bad about Ryoga hugging you?"

"He was trying to hug me with all his strength. He was destroying large wooden pillars when he missed. Earlier that week, Ranma had to fight Principal Kuno about 'Tardiness Week.' I could go on and on about the stuff that has happened to us since I met Ranma," Akane added to her case.

"What if you're the problem?" Ukyou pointed out. "Maybe Ranchan has to deal with it because you have the interesting life curse."

Akane shook her head. "The only strange thing about me before Ranma was having to fight most of the guys at Furinkan High every morning. Ranma, however, was cursed to turn into a girl, got engaged at least three times, ate dragon hair, trained in Nekoken, and kami knows what else."

Ukyou looked down at the floor. "Has he proposed to you yet?"

Akane raised her hand. "Yes."

Ukyou looked at the ring, wishing it was hers. She smiled weakly, saying sadly, "It's beautiful, Akane."

"I'd still like us all to be friends," Akane insisted.

Ukyou didn't immediately reply. "I-I'll think about it, and I still like to talk to Ranma."

"Of course." Akane realized Ukyou gave her a hint to leave. "I should be going. Will I see you at school tomorrow?"

Ukyou turned away from her. "Probably not. Bye."

"Bye." Akane left Ucchan's. She noticed several people standing outside, entering only after she was a fair distance from the door.

* * *

Ranma laid in bed, letting the haze of sleep fade from his mind. The first thing he noticed was that he was in Akane's bed. Correction, his and Akane's bed. His mother was now sharing his old room with his father. He was surprised at how forgiving his mother was. Despite finding out more of what his father had done to him, his parents slept together last night.

Ranma sat up, shaking his head. He wasn't use to the changes yet. Two weeks ago was no different than the previous months. Well except, three weeks ago was the wedding fiasco and Mount Phoenix. Actually thinking back now, everything seemed to change over a month ago when his mother found out about the curse. Everything has changed now, he was even sharing a bed with Akane.

Ranma now noticed Akane wasn't in bed with him. He looked at the clock, it was a little after five o'clock. Akane was rarely awake before six o'clock. Ranma quickly got dress and decided to look for her.

He first checked the kitchen, much to his relief she wasn't there. Kasumi was and she told him Akane was in the dojo, breaking bricks.

"Yo, Akane. What's up?" Ranma asked, entering the dojo.

"Nothing," Akane said with an edge of bitterness.

Ranma noticed Akane seemed angry at something. He asked nervously, "I know you better than that. Why are you breaking bricks early in the morning? Is something wrong? Did I do something stupid?"

"Nothing is wrong and you haven't done anything stupid," Akane barked.

Ranma was really getting confused. "Is it because Nabiki told Kuno about our engagement?"

"No," Akane hissed. "She said it was an accident and I'm glad she did it."

"Then why are you here?" Ranma pressed.

"It's my own business," Akane insisted.

Ranma folded his arms. "Akane we're going to be married soon, why can't you tell me?"

"You want to know? Fine! I'm having my period. Happy?" Akane growled out.

"Oh," Ranma said meekly, then realization struck. "OH! That means you aren't pregnant then."

Akane glared at him. "Exactly. Which means nothing is wrong."

"I guess I'll leave you be then." Ranma turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm irritable then?" Akane asked, part of her wanting him to step into her verbal landmine.

"No. I know why... Know more than any guy has a right to." Ranma sighed. "'Cause I go through it too." He left the dojo.

Akane's jaw dropped to the floor. She couldn't believe that the curse was that complete. She shook her head. She set up more bricks to break and started thinking about Ranma and their future.

* * *

Ranma gulped as he entered Ucchan's. The restaurant was currently closed so they could talk without interruption or being overheard. He wanted to avoid this, but he had to talk to Ukyou at some point. Finding the Okonomiyaki in his shoe locker at school this morning told him when that moment was. It also stated he had to come without Akane.

Ranma sighed. He was going to make Ukyou cry, and nothing he could say would change that. He gathered his courage and kept Akane in his mind as he greeted nervously, "Hi, Ucchan."

"Hello, Ranma," Ukyou said dryly.

Ranma became even more nervous, Ukyou was angry. "Um, I'm here to talk."

"So, tell me Ranma: Why Akane? Why did you chose Akane?" Ukyou demanded.

"Because I love her," Ranma answered simply.

"Why do you love her?" Ukyou demanded.

Ranma shrugged. "I'm not sure why I love her. There is something about her that makes me want to hold onto her and never let go. She means everything to me."

"You know that's how I feel about you," Ukyou told him.

Ranma nodded. "And so does Akane, Shampoo and possibly Kodachi."

"Ranma, I've given up over ten years of my life because of you. Ten years!" Ukyou screamed. "And you want me to throw it all away because you love someone else. Sorry Ranma, I can't and won't do that. After throwing away my childhood and my womanhood, you expect me to just say, 'I'm happy for you two,' or some other bullshit. Not in this lifetime!"

Ukyou started crying. "Ranma, I love you and want to marry you. Your father promised that I would be your bride. I have to marry you or get my revenge against you."

"What is your revenge? Ranma nervously asked.

"It was to make you feel the pain you put my family through," Ukyou informed darkly through her tears.

"Um, what is it now?" Ranma wondered.

"I don't know. I don't want to hurt you. I love you and want to marry you," Ukyou insisted.

Ranma looked away from her. "But I want to marry Akane. And even if I didn't want to, our families would force us. I wish things could've work out better. I was sort of hoping you'd fall in love with someone, maybe Konatsu."

Ukyou sobbed. "Konatsu is gone."

"What?" Ranma asked, shocked.

Ukyou looked down. "I sent him away Tuesday after I saw you and Akane... having... sex. I couldn't stand to see him. I didn't want him to try and convince me it's best I let you go. He wouldn't understand. So, I sent him away. I took all the anger I felt towards you and Akane and lashed out at him. I told him I never want to see him again."

"I hope he comes back," Ranma wished.

Ukyou nodded. "I hope so too, but I don't think he will. I was really terrible about it."

Ranma took a step toward her. "Now Ucchan-"

Ukyou glared angrily at him. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she screamed, tears still flowing. "Don't you dare call me that unless you plan on marrying me. You are my fiance and I'm not letting you go. Everything I am is because of you. I gave up my childhood training to defeat you only to find you're some martial arts god I could never hope to defeat. In you I found love and now you say that it will go unrequited."

"Um, Ukyou, you should be thankful Pop didn't take you with us. You woulda lost your childhood watching me train as Pop sure wouldn't train you." Ranma laughed sarcastically. "Assuming you lived, you would've probably also be cursed, branded a thief, and engaged to several guys. As bad and as lonely your childhood was, mine was worse. At least you know what it was like to have a home. You knew you had a place to sleep and that you would be fed. I didn't know what having a home was like until I came here."

"Oh, yeah. You had it so much better," Ukyou retorted in very much the same tone he had just used. "After my mother died, my father didn't want me. He tried to pawn me off on your father because he didn't want me. After you and your father ran off with the cart all my father had left was me. And all I was to him was a mouth to feed. He never made me feel welcome at home, if you could call a one room apartment a home. Yeah, I had it so much better. I may know what it's like to have a ceiling over my head every night, but I haven't known what it felt like to be wanted by my family since my mother died."

Ranma became confused. "If you lived in a one room apartment, how could you afford this place?"

"My mother left me enough money in her will for this place. I couldn't access it until I was sixteen," Ukyou explained.

"Oh." Ranma looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry... I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because you were always having a problem with the here and now." Ukyou huffed. "I allowed you to tell me your problems, and I didn't want to bother you with my own."

"I wasn't always having a problem," Ranma denied.

"Yes you were. You always complained about your fights with Akane, or how Ryoga, Kuno, Shampoo, and or somebody else was annoying you, or some other problem," Ukyou reminded.

"Ever notice Akane was my favorite topic of discussion? Sure I complained about my fights with her and how Ryoga or Kuno was annoying me because they are in love with her, and Shampoo and Kodachi kept on putting me in a position in which Akane would hit me. But I almost always talked about her. I hoped you would've realized I actually choose her a long time ago, and you would search for love somewhere else." Ranma sighed. "Did you also notice I never deny I'm Akane's fiancee and when I refer to you it's always been as a friend."

Ranma looked away from Ukyou. "I see I don't really know who you are. All you ever told me is why you're after me."

"C-can I tell you now?" Ukyou asked, hoping if she told him now, he might change his mind.

Ranma nodded. "You can, but it won't change anything. I'm going to marry Akane. I'm sorry about all of this. I wish things could work out better, but that's not the case. I still want to be friends."

"Do you honestly expect me to be just friends with you after all we've been through?" Ukyou threw a set of spatulas at him. "Get out, you Jackass! Just get the hell out!"

Ranma ducked the attack and retreated from the restaurant. "I'm sorry, Ukyou. Please, don't leave me. I want to be friends. Please let me be a friend."

* * *

Akane sighed as she entered her room. She hoped Ranma was fairing well in his talk with Ukyou. Knowing Ranma though, he probably made things worse.

Akane felt something was out of place. There was another presence in her room. A couple black rose petals on the floor told her who it was. "Hello Kodachi. I was wondering when you'd show up."

Kodachi flipped down from the ceiling and stood at the other end of Akane's room. "I will not stand idly by while you steal my darling Ranma-sama from me."

Akane thought talking to Kodachi might prove as effective as it so far did with her brother. "He was never yours." She glared at the gymnast. "He choose me of his own free will, and I will marry him. There is no way you can keep us apart."

"You dare claim Ranma has chosen you after you beat and insult him!" Kodachi demanded.

"I regret the things I've done and I am working on keeping myself from hitting or insulting him ever again," Akane vowed.

"Then here. Accept my congratulations." Kodachi threw a bouquet of black roses at the girl.

Akane jumped put of the way. The flowers hit the door, and sent pollen exploding where Akane had stood.

Kodachi looked insulted. "You dare refuse my gift."

"I'll refuse any gift from you," Akane snarled. "Would the pollen make me fall asleep, or was it poisonous this time."

"I resent your implications." Kodachi raise a pair of gymnastic clubs in challenge to the girl.

Akane set herself to be ready for an attack. "I resent you interfering in my life. Ranma has chosen me. He loves me. And I know he doesn't love you. He doesn't even like you."

"You think I don't know that. I know how he feels about me, but it doesn't matter. He deserves better than you. He deserves someone of my glorious breeding and wealth. In time he will learn to love me," Kodachi answered in surprising honesty.

Akane wasn't going to be shaken by the gymnast's words. "In case you haven't noticed, Ranma will be fairly wealthy if he marries me and I am a descendant of minor nobility. Your claim to be better on those points holds nothing. I, however, offer Ranma a loving family."

"My family isn't loving?" Kodachi asked indignantly.

"Your father sleeps at school rather than at his own house, and you barely tolerate your brother. Not to mention Ranma hates them," Akane pointed out. "So, yes. Your family isn't loving."

"Then you understand why I must have Ranma. I must have love." Tears began to leak from Kodachi's eyes.

Akane was surprised as when the girl started crying. She was crying real tears. "Love can't be forced. It just happens. Ranma may not care about you, but there are other people out there who could love you given the chance. All you have to do is find one."

"I have found the one I want, and I will have him!" Kodachi screamed. "Attack of a thousand clubs!"

Akane attempted to block the multitude of attacks using her recent speed training but finding herself more often punching the clubs than deflecting them.

"How dare you use my Ranma-sama's attacks?!" Kodachi pulled out her ribbon and ensnared Akane.

"Because he taught it to me." Akane smiled and glowed with a pink chi aura, as she began to focus on how happy she was when she finally succeeded in using the move. Augmenting her strength with her chi, she broke free of the ribbon.

"How? No one could break my ribbon." Kodachi looked at the girl in shock.

"I can." Akane punched Kodachi in the nose, causing the gymnast to fall to her knees holding her now bloody nose. The Tendo girl then sternly demanded, "I will not have you attack, hurt or try to kill me or Ranma, and if you ever try to get between me and Ranma, I will beat the living shit out of you. Believe me, I can."

"I woll mak you payy f'r h'rting my nuse!" Kodachi attempted to scream.

Akane folded her arms. "You attacked me. Kodachi, I suggest you leave here and forget about Ranma. You will never make him love you. I hope you find someone to love you, but I never want to hear about you ever again."

Kodachi decided it was best to leave and get a doctor to look at her nose. "We arev't inished et." She jumped through the window.

"I wonder if she noticed Ranma's stuff was now in my room?" Akane said to herself. She looked at the floor. "Great, now I have to clean up blood stains."


	9. Planning for the Future

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

** Chapter 9 - Planning for the Future**

* * *

Akane was pleasantly surprised to find that she woke up before Ranma did. His early morning practice had given him the habit of waking up before she did. This was the first time in a long while that she had seen him asleep when he hadn't fallen asleep first from exhaustion, or awakened her by screaming in the middle of a nightmare.

Akane absentmindedly stroked his hair of the man who was her lover and soon to be her husband. She glanced at the clock, and noticed it was almost nine-thirty. He really slept in this morning. Normally he would've been up three hours ago. Then again, she did keep him awake much later than usual. He certainly wouldn't complain about it.

Ranma awoke slowly. He realized someone was playing with his hair. He opened his eyes and smiled at his fiancee. "Morning."

Akane gave him a quick kiss. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept fine..." Ranma frowned. "Though last night it was your turn to wake me up."

Akane blinked. "Huh?"

"Well, I was starting to have a nightmare the next thing I know, you're punching me in your sleep," Ranma laughed sheepishly.

"I was?" Akane looked concerned.

Ranma waved it off. "Yeah, but don't worry about it. It was turning out to be a bad nightmare, and I'm glad you woke me."

"Are you sure?" Akane pouted. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Yeah I'm sure, and if Ryoga didn't mind you thrashing around at night, why should I?" Ranma joked lamely.

Akane frowned. "Okay... but please don't remind about Ryoga's curse." A slight smile returned to her face. "We better hurry and get downstairs for breakfast and then we get to plan our wedding!"

That didn't sound like fun to Ranma.

* * *

Ranma watched, bored out of his skull, as the Tendo and Saotome families went over details of a western wedding, his wedding. He didn't see much point to this: get into a suit, toss a dress on Akane, go in front of a minister and say, 'I do.' What more was there? Ranma was actually relieved when a pair of Amazons interrupted.

Something wasn't right with how the Amazons were dressed. Their clothes appeared to be ceremonial in nature. Another odd thing was that if this was some attempt to get Ranma married to Shampoo, why did Shampoo look upset, like this was the last place she wanted to be?

"What do you want old ghoul? There's no way you're going to force me to marry Shampoo," Ranma said sternly.

"You will refer to me as Honored Elder." Cologne smacked Ranma with her staff. "As for your engagement to Shampoo, I offer you a means to declare it null and void."

"Really?" Ranma asked, shocked, stunned, and surprised.

"If you become an Amazon through trial, rather than marriage, you'll be able to break the engagement if Shampoo agrees to it." Cologne glanced at Shampoo. "And she will agree to it."

Shampoo sadly nodded.

Ranma couldn't believe it, he was finally given an acceptable way out of an engagement. "When do we start?" he asked eagerly.

"You've already started Ranma. I had you learn Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken to see if you were worthy of truly being an Amazon or just a concubine. Your ability to overcome obstacles has earned you a place in the tribe. If you can defeat two appointed champions, you'll be accepted as an Amazon. Follow me."

Ranma nodded, but was concerned. If Cologne chose herself and Happosai, he'd already lost. Ranma, and everyone else, followed Cologne to the dojo.

There were two people already in the dojo.

"Greetings, Saotome Ranma," Mousse said with a bow.

"I, Kuno Tatewaki, shall destroy you and free everyone from the spells you've woven to deceive them!" Kuno glared at Ranma.

Ranma shook his head. "Are these your 'champions?'"

Cologne nodded. "Defeat both of them and you are an Amazon."

"Are you intentionally setting this up so I'd win?" Ranma asked, not believing this was his final challenge.

"Would I do that?" Cologne looked at him with false innocence.

"All right then. Let's get this done with so I can be an Amazon then." He feared there was more to this, and that he really wasn't going to like it when he found out what that 'more' was, but he couldn't pass this chance up.

Akane stood off to the side, smiling. When dealing with Cologne to stop Ryoga, she started to trust the Amazon. Akane was a little concerned this was a trap of some kind, but she also remembered what Cologne said after they stopped Ryoga about Ranma's love belonging to her and that nothing could change that. This initiation would mean one less headache when making wedding preparations.

Ranma faced off against both Kuno and Mousse. Cologne shouted, "Begin!"

"I shall smite thee, you vile..." Kuno started to say before Ranma sent him through the roof and into lower Earth orbit with a boot to the head.

"I will not go easy on you, Saotome," Mousse said calmly, launching chains in an all-too familiar attack.

Ranma, wanting to have a quick decisive victory, dodged the attack, setting himself up for a series of impossibly fast punches. He was surprised when Mousse ducked the attack.

Mousse punched Ranma in the stomach. The pig-tailed boy responded by kicking him in the head who responded by launching an uppercut only to find himself Judo tossed to the other side of the room. Moving to get up, he was hit by a jump kick, sending him into a wall.

"Stay down, Mousse," Ranma said, punching the myopic Amazon.

Mousse collapsed, unconscious, after Ranma kicked him once more in the head.

Cologne smiled as she hoped towards Ranma. "Congratulations and welcome to the tribe. This is a copy of the rules you'll need to follow as an Amazon male." She handed Ranma an inch thick book.

"Now how about breaking the engagement?" Ranma asked.

"Of course. Shampoo, do you reject this Amazon male as a possible husband?"

"Yes," Shampoo reluctantly answered.

"You are no longer engaged," Cologne said.

Ranma blinked in confusion. "Um, you didn't ask me if I wanted to be engaged."

Akane scowled at him.

"You don't really have a say in breaking an engagement, only an Amazon female does," Cologne replied, smirking. "By the way, when you marry Akane, she'll be an Amazon female and your superior. Until then, she is an Amazon initiate."

Akane couldn't help but grin at this statement of being Ranma's superior, but was a little confused at the wink Cologne gave her.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Like any girl could be the my superior."

"Hate to break this to you Ranma, but she's already your superior when it comes to her bossing you around," Nabiki smirked.

Cologne chuckled dryly. "I have one more thing to do before I return to the Nekohanten. Ranma, Shampoo, come here."

The two approached Cologne.

"It is time I name my successors. Shampoo, I name you Bearer of My Lore. You will be taught all my knowledge of magic, science and history, and guard all my possessions once I am no longer of this world. Ranma, I name you my Bearer of My Arts. You shall be taught all my knowledge of martial arts, chi, and combat magic."

Everyone in the room save Cologne, Shampoo, and the comatose Mousse gasped at this announcement.

"Do you accept your positions?" Cologne asked.

"Yes," Shampoo and Ranma answered.

"Very good," Cologne said. "Ranma, I shall contact you later about training you."

Ranma nodded.

"We'll take our leave now," Cologne said, waking up Mousse using shiatsu. The three original Amazons left.

"Ranma, my boy, you'll be the greatest martial artist that ever lived!" Genma elated.

"Once the old ghoul finishes training me... no one will ever be able to beat me," Ranma said in disbelief.

"Great, more to add to his ego. How am I going to get him to try other emotions besides confidence now?" Akane muttered to herself.

* * *

Everyone had returned to planning the wedding. Most of the decorations and the reception had been planned, but two important topics in Ranma's mind had yet to be answered. "Um, whose family name will we take?" Ranma asked, uncertain.

"Mine, of course," Akane said flatly.

"I'm afraid not, Akane," Soun said.

"What? He should take my name. After all, we get the dojo because of me," Akane insisted.

"Dear, the agreement with Genma was that my daughter who married Ranma would take his name to continue his clan since Ranma is an only child. The dojo will still be called the Tendo Dojo, but you'll be Saotome Akane."

Akane shook her head. She would've liked to keep her name, but it'd be very hard to convince them to allow that. She resigned to get use to the idea of being a Saotome.

"Um, okay," Ranma said. "Now when are we going to set the wedding date?"

"Next Saturday looks nice," Soun said.

"I was thinking more like after graduating from high school," Ranma suggested.

"Why should we wait, Ranma?" Akane asked fiercely.

"I don't want to be saddled with the responsibilities of a husband yet," Ranma replied.

Akane started to get angry. "Tell me what would be different once we get married?"

Ranma stammered trying to think of an answer. Her name getting changed didn't seem a good enough answer.

"Besides, Ranma," Nabiki intoned, "You're already milking the cow. You might as well buy it."

"What?!" Akane screeched.

Ranma sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Excuse me? Did you just refer to me as a cow?" Akane glared at Ranma and Nabiki.

"Ah..." Ranma lost capacity of speech.

"It's a figure of speech," Nabiki pointed out. "I just meant that since your already lovers, getting married is only a formality now."

"Oh," Akane said coldly, still glaring at them.

Ranma thought of something that might get Akane happy. "How about we get married at the end of this school year. It's only a month away now, and that way we could have an actual honeymoon too."

Akane smiled. "That's a great idea! Now where should we go?"

Nabiki scowled at Ranma. He just managed to up the cost of the wedding even more, but then grinned. "Oh, Akane, have you been to a gynecologist or at least a family planning clinic yet?"

Akane shifted nervously. "Um, no."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I set up an appointment to see a gynecologist on Tuesday, then," Nabiki informed.

"I guess," Akane said. While she knew she had to go, she didn't like the idea.

Nabiki smirked, "Ranma, I set up an appoint for you too." She had been planning to get back at Ranma for inadvertently raping Akane while in Nekoken. Now was the perfect time and excuse to make him pay.

Akane and Nodoka twitched.

"Um... what's a guyecolgy?" Ranma asked, he hadn't really paid attention.

"Gynecologist, a doctor specializing in women's medicine," Nabiki informed.

"What?!" Ranma stammered. "Why would I need to see that kind of doctor?"

"You turn into a girl. It'd be a good idea for you to have that kind of check up at some point," Nabiki explained.

"Come on Nabiki," Akane fumed. "Why would he need to? It's not like Ranma has... er, never mind."

Nodoka blinked. "He has... periods?"

Ranma barely nodded, whispering, "Yes."

The parents in the room crashed to the floor in shock.

"You didn't know?" Kasumi asked.

"I didn't think the curse was that... complete," Nodoka whispered. It sounded so wrong that her manly son would have to deal with THAT monthly issue.

Nabiki smirked, "Anyway, there are some female problems that can threaten your health. It wouldn't hurt you to see the doctor to make sure your female body is healthy. Besides, if Akane has to go through it for you, you should too."

Akane couldn't help but agree to Nabiki's reasoning, so she nodded.

"There's no way I'm going to woman's doctor!" Ranma shouted.

"Ranma, Dear," Nodoka frowned. "Nabiki is... right. It would be a good idea for you to see the doctor. Especially seeing as your curse might cause some sort of complications."

Ranma knew he was defeated if his Mom thought he should go. "Fine," he said weakly.

* * *

Ranma, while sitting in his and Akane's room waiting for her before going to bed, read a little of the Amazon laws. He stared at the law pertaining to the initiation of a male Amazon: 'A newly admitted male of the tribe must be shown the pleasures that a woman can give by an appointed Amazon woman.'

"This is so not good," he muttered.

"What is?" Akane asked, looking over his shoulder at what he'd been reading.

Ranma became very nervous, he hadn't heard Akane enter the room. He was now trying to keep the book of laws away from her.

Akane grabbed it. Skimming over the two pages, she found the same passage Ranma had read. "What?!"

Akane noticed there was a little more to that law: 'Amendment - An Amazon initiate may take the place of the Amazon woman if appointed by an elder of the tribe.'

Ranma was now confused at that grin Akane was giving him. "Ah... Akane?"

"Looks like Cologne appointed me to show you what pleasure a woman can give an Amazon male," Akane said in a sultry tone.

"But, it says Amazon woman must do it, and you're not one yet," Ranma nervously pointed out.

Akane scowled. "You didn't read further. An Amazon initiate can also do so if appointed by an elder." She held the book in his face for him to read the amendment. "I am an Amazon initiate, so I get to show you." She tossed the book onto the desk. She got him to stand up and started to kiss him. Breaking the kiss, she said seductively, "I'm in control tonight. You'll do as I say."

Ranma nodded.

Ranma rather liked it when Akane led, and no doubt, she liked it when he led. When the other person led, it meant getting to lay back, letting the other focus on giving pleasure, and not expecting to have pleasure to be returned. Most times they pleasured each other almost equally, but tonight, he was hers to toy with.

Akane would've liked to have planned this out before hand. She could've made even more of this. She certainly planned to make the most of it. First giving him oral pleasure. While he recovered, she then gave herself joy while he watched. Getting him ready to go again and showing him where she liked to be touched. Finally she straddled her beloved and rode him into exhausting euphoria.


	10. A Woman's Needs

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_by Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 10 - A Woman's Needs**

* * *

"Appointment for Saotome," a pig-tailed girl with a large chest said. The girl was completely soaked from rain.

The secretary at the psychologist office blinked. She recognized the raven haired girl that just entered, but she didn't recognize the other girl. "Excuse me, but you certainly don't look like MR. Saotome."

"Ranma?" the psychologist asked from the door of his office.

Ranma nodded.

The doctor coughed. "Right on time. If you and... your fiancee would come in, we can start."

Ranma and Akane nodded and entered the office.

The secretary, proud of having a good memory, wanted to know how she could forget the girl since this was Saotome's second visit. The doctor's reference to the two girls as being engaged also confused her.

"How did you know it was me?" Ranma asked.

"Well, I remembered what you said about the Chinese curse, your face isn't really any different than when you're a guy, it's raining, and I heard the name you gave my secretary," the doctor explained.

"Oh." Ranma shrugged.

"How have you progressed from looking at the photos I gave you?" the doctor asked.

Ranma remained silent.

The doctor sighed. "No improvement?"

Ranma fidgeted. "Actually... I haven't looked at them. I've been a little busy and forgot about them."

"How could you forget about it?" the doctor asked, confused.

"Well, I made the engagement to her official, officially broke off one of my other engagements, became a member of an Amazon tribe, talked to various other suitors, and some other things," Ranma rattled off.

"Not to mention he doesn't have that great of a memory to start with," Akane added jokingly.

Ranma scowled slightly at Akane, but then sighed. "I did go cat rather easily last Tuesday, and Akane was able to lead me to her room."

The doctor nodded. "Okay. I guess I can understand that. Now Ranma, I'd like to observe you go into the Nekoken."

"Why?" Ranma uttered, shocked.

"It may give me a better understanding of it."

"I really don't think it's a good idea," Ranma said nervously.

"It may help me cure you," the doctor insisted.

"Besides, I'm here to help keep you in control." Akane gave Ranma's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Ranma sagged. "I guess... you got some hot water ready?"

The doctor nodded, pointing to a teakettle and portable stove in the corner of the room. He pressed a button on the intercom. "Bring in Whiskers."

Ranma braced herself.

Akane got a cup of hot water to splash Ranma with.

The secretary entered a moment later holding a brown cat. Instantly Ranma was in the corner of the room, scared out of her mind. The secretary looked at the girl strangely. While she had seen some cases where someone was deathly afraid, the girl in front of her was scared more than anyone else she had ever seen. She wondered how anyone could be that afraid of a cat.

Ranma stared at the cat in cold fear. She fought to keep her mind as it started to slip away, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Akane watched with concern as her fiancee underwent the mental shift. "Meowr?"

"Take Whiskers out now," the doctor ordered, his eyes transfixed on girl that was acting like a cat.

The secretary left the room, trying to understand what she just saw.

Akane seeing the cat gone and her approaching fiance, splashed Ranma with the water.

The doctor blinked. He had some doubts about what these two and his old friend, Dr. Tofu, had told him, but seeing a large chested girl turn into a guy with with a flat firm chest took away much of those doubts. The Nekoken might have been an act, but the transformation wasn't.

"Wha..." Ranma uttered, as he stood up on two legs. "I did a little better that time."

Akane nodded. "Yeah. I think it took almost a minute this time."

"How long does it usually take?" the doctor asked.

"Lately it's been close to instantaneous. But I've seen him hold on for long periods of time, even when confronted with many cats," Akane informed him.

"Can you guess as to why it took longer now than it had previously?" the doctor questioned.

"I guess, it's because I've been facing some of my other fears," Ranma replied.

The doctor nodded. "What are those fears?"

"Let's see... I'm sort of afraid of commitment and rejection, and I was afraid of hurting Ukyou and Shampoo," Ranma replied.

"Who are Ukyou and Shampoo, and why is that fear past tense?" The doctor guessed 'Shampoo' was someone's name, odd as it sounded.

"Ukyou and Shampoo were two of my fiancees. And I already hurt them. Now it's a matter of trying to become friends with them, assuming they're willing," Ranma answered.

"I see." The doctor nodded in thought. "Have you tried to face your fear of commitment?"

Akane raised her hand, showing the engagement ring. "In less than four weeks, we'll be married!" She smiled.

The doctor smiled back. "Well, I suggest now we continue to work desensitizing you to the presence of a cat. I'll give a schedule to Akane for her to make sure you look at those pictures."

"Okay," Ranma replied with a little trepidation.

* * *

The secretary looked up when two people left the office, and blinked. The guy she had remembered to be Saotome was exiting the room, but he hadn't gone in. The big chested girl wasn't there either.

She looked at him strangely while he made an appointment for the next week. Something just wasn't adding up in her mind.

"Um, doctor?" The secretary uttered.

The psychologist gazed at her. "Yes?"

The secretary pouted. "I think I'm... seeing things."

"Oh, what have you been seeing?" The doctor looked amused.

"Saotome entered as a girl with... ah..." She quickly mimed a chest larger than her own. "...And left as a guy with black hair."

The doctor chuckled. "You're not seeing things. They are both the same person." He looked at his secretary carefully.

"He's a cross-dresser?" The secretary asked in her confusion.

"Er... something like that." The doctor didn't care to find out what proof of magic would do to his secretary's sanity.

The secretary noticed the reluctance of the doctor to answer. One thing really bothered her about the idea of Saotome being a cross-dresser: How does he shrink and grow?

* * *

The gynecologist walked through his clinic, approaching the room where his next patient was. He used to enjoy his job. Getting paid to see a woman's vagina, what guy wouldn't be happy? But, day after day and week after week of seeing women's sexual organs caused him to no longer have any interest in seeing another one. Maybe that's why Hikaru was his only child.

The doctor almost sighed as he picked up the file of his patient that was placed on the door. He noted she was a first time patient, standard series of exams, and her name was... He blinked. His patient couldn't be...

The doctor opened the door to see an innocent and shy looking pig-tailed girl with large chest sitting on the examination bed. He started laughing. He couldn't believe 'she' would be here.

"What's so funny?" Ranma demanded.

"S-sorry... I just never expected you would ever be my patient," the doctor said trying to stifle his laughter.

Ranma raised her eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

"Yes. My son is quite smitten with your fiancee. It's hard to believe all the things he's said about you and the stuff that happens around you, especially the curse," the doctor explained.

Ranma blinked. "Who's your son?"

"Hikaru," the doctor replied.

Ranma couldn't remember anyone with that name and repeated, "Who?"

Apparently the girl didn't pay attention to who she was seeing, the doctor mentally noted. "Gosunkugi Hikaru."

Ranma paled slightly. "He's your son? Sorry about sending him to the hospital..."

Doctor Gosunkugi shook his head. "I understand what happened. I've had Tendo Nabiki explain everything. He was trying to break your relationship with Akane, and his plan back-fired. If your skills are as high as I've heard, you could've done far worse than made him spend a night in the hospital."

Ranma nodded slightly.

"So what brings you here?" Doctor Gosunkugi wondered.

"Akane and I have... become active and seeing as she is seeing a gynecologist..." Ranma's words died in her mouth.

"They thought it'd be a good idea you see one too." The doctor doubted this 'girl' would be here of her own free will.

Ranma nodded. She looked like she was ready to run at the slightest excuse.

Dr. Gosunkugi smiled. An old spark of anticipation had been lit when he saw Ranma was his patient. He was about to see the rarest of sights, a vagina which belonged to a man.

* * *

Ranma was in a bad mood when he left the gynecologist. Several people had gasped as he transformed into a guy in the hall. He had wanted to get out of his girl's body as fast as possible, and did so not caring who saw him. He felt oddly violated by some of the tests. He felt only Akane should be able to look at where Dr. Gosunkugi had looked. "Did you know what some of those test were going to be?"

Akane sighed. "Not really. I sort of guessed at some of the things. I didn't really expect her to look at me... where she did."

"You had a female doctor?" Ranma asked heatedly.

Akane nodded shallowly. "Yes."

Ranma let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

Akane looked at him, concerned. "You had a male doctor?"

Ranma folded his arms. "Yeah. He's also Gosunkugi's dad."

"He was?" Akane squeaked in surprise.

Ranma nodded. "I think he did some 'tests' he didn't need to."

"I sort of think that too about my doctor." Akane shook her head, trying to forget the doctor visit. While nothing wrong had happened, she still felt like her privacy had been violated since her doctor had seen and knew things only Ranma had otherwise truly seen and known about her. "Well, I do have some good news. It's doubtful I'm pregnant. There's still a chance, but not a very good one just yet."

Ranma smiled slightly. "That's good. Did you get birth control mrph?!"

Akane slapped her hands over Ranma's mouth and hissed in a low voice, "Don't mention that! Nabiki lied, they're still technically illegal."

Ranma shrugged. When her hand was removed, he asked, "Did you get them?"

Akane scowled. "Not yet, but I will have them soon." She glanced around to see if anyone was listening in. Seeing no one, she added in a low voice, "We still have to be careful. The pills might not take full effect until after I have another cycle. But it still should reduce chances greatly."

Ranma nodded.

* * *

Akane practiced a complex kata in the dojo. She wanted Ranma to be with her, since she still didn't like the idea of him being out of her sight. But Ranma had to go out with his friends, if for no other reason than to just go out. If he always stayed with her, he would never be able to control Nekoken again.

Akane thought of all the problems Ranma has: the curse, Nekoken, and all the other insanity that surrounded him. Truthfully, it scared her that she had promised to stand by the side of a man who's life would never be easy, until death do they part, a death which might happen at any time.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard, "Mweor?"

She turned around hoping it was just a cat or Ranma playing a joke. She saw a girl with a pig-tail in a stance similar to that of a cat. This could be rather bad.

Ranma looked at his mate. He could feel the anticipation growing... but something didn't feel right. She looked down and saw that she was a girl at the moment. She cast a confused look at her mate. How could two girls mate?

Ranma approached her rather nervous mate. She knew her mate was female, but pawed between her beloved's legs to make sure. She let out a sad meow, and curled up into a ball. She didn't know what to do.

Akane had been of a similar thought of being unsure of how to handle Ranma being female and a cat. She just stood there staring at her fiance. Now that her lover had curled up into a ball she started to be able to think again. "Ranma?"

Ranma looked up. "Meow?"

"Want to turn back into a guy?" Akane asked.

Ranma nodded. "Meow."

"Follow me." Akane walked out of the dojo and led Ranma to the kitchen. She grabbed a teakettle and poured it on her fiance.

"Hot!" he screeched, jumping away from the teakettle.

"What happened this time?" Akane asked.

Ranma scratched his head. "Well, after the old lady somehow splashed me again, I overheard Kuno trying to convince Gosunkugi to cast some spell. When I approached to find out what they were up to, I ran into a bunch of cats."

"Do you know how long it took?" Akane wondered.

Ranma shook his head. "I'm not sure."

* * *

Ranma gazed at his lover wondering what she was doing. "Are you constipated?"

"What?" Akane screeched.

"You keep making a funny face," Ranma pointed out.

Akane scowled. "I'm trying to figure out how to use other emotions besides anger for a chi attack."

Ranma laughed. "Good luck with that."

Akane took a brick and pitched it at her fiance's head. Her previous failures annoying her as much as her fiance's comments.

Ranma ducked the impromptu weapon. "Let me know when you get that anger management under control," he teased as retreated.

Akane huffed in frustration and then shook her head to clear her thoughts. Anger came to her easily, but that would lead to her destruction. She had tried joy and then hope, and while both worked to a certain degree. Trying to summon those feelings now while she wanted to punch her fiance was alluding her, which meant they wouldn't likely come to her in the middle of battle either.

Akane sighed. There was one emotion she had so far avoided using. She was afraid of the results it'd cause. If she used that emotion, it'd quantify that emotion. She didn't want that. She wanted it to be unknown. But she needed a reliable chi attack in battle. An emotion that anger could not overtake. She sighed.

She focused.

Chi enveloped her hand.

"AKANEKEN!" she cried out as her hand smashed into the stack of bricks, turning them into a fine powder.

Akane looked at her hand to see the color that had enveloped it. She smiled, seeing the color was crimson red. It was oddly appropriate for both her name and the emotion it was sometimes associated with: love.

Akane looked at the powdered concrete. The chi attack might have quantified her love for Ranma in some ways, but it was a powerful emotion, more powerful than even her anger. She rather liked the side effect of this chi attack that let this emotion become easier to tap. If anything, she always wanted to touch the feeling of love Ranma gave her... even if he was a jerk.

* * *

Author's Note:

Birth control pills were illegal in Japan save for high dose versions for certain menstrual cycle issues until 1999 (after political backlash from women groups when Viagra was approved in six months while birth control pills still hadn't been approved after five decades of use in other countries). Seeing as Ranma 1/2 obviously occurs before the age of marriage was raised in Japan to eighteen for guys which went into effect by 1997 (the manga ran from 1988 to 1996), either the pills would be illegal or Ranma can't marry until he's eighteen. While having Nabiki know someone who can get safer versions of birth control pills puts her more in line with anime or fanon interpretations, in a society where prostitution and drinking age are more paper laws than something consistently enforced, it is not unreasonable that Nabiki has learned of a doctor willing to circumvent the restrictions and sell them under the counter.

Now for another reason why her chi attacks are called Akaneken and Akane Ha, since Akane can translate as meaning crimson. Meaning her attacks now have the English meaning of Crimson Fist and Crimson Blast.


	11. Perverted Dream

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_By Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Perverted Dream**

* * *

"All right, Akane..." Sayuri leveled her gaze at her friend. "Spill it. You've kept us in the dark for weeks now. And we want to hear it all."

"Yeah, I thought we were friends, and you haven't told us anything," Yuka added.

Akane sat there nervously. She knew this was coming, and it was a bit overdue. Being so busy with Ranma and with various problems, she hadn't had the chance to sit down and talk to her friends. Now she sat in her room, under her friends' scrutinizing eyes.

"Sorry, I've wanted to tell you, but I've been busy and I couldn't tell you at school," Akane said.

"We've heard the excuse, now we want the details," Sayuri demanded.

"Okay... We've set the wedding date. It's noon, here, the day after finals. You two are invited, of course," Akane told them with some nervousness.

"You're getting married that soon?" Sayuri blinked.

Akane nodded. "You can't let anyone know this. Some of our suitors may still cause problems if they knew about it. If you want to talk about it, refer to it as Ranma's parents' renewing their wedding vows, which will also happen."

"Will you need bridesmaids or anything like that?" Yuka asked.

Akane frowned. "No, we're keeping it as simple as possible to help avoid letting those we don't want to know, from noticing it."

"Okay. Now Akane, have you had sex with Ranma?" Sayuri asked in a demanding tone.

If her friends hadn't been staring at her so hard, or if the change in topic had been less abrupt, she might have been able to just tell them. Right now, she could only nervously stammer, "Well, er... I..."

"After that impromptu training trip and getting engaged for real you still haven't done it?" Yuka said disappointed, taking Akane's reaction as a negative.

"Actually..." Akane began when her door opened.

"Don't mind me. I doubt you'll disturb my nap," Ranma in female form muttered, collapsing on the bed. It was obvious she had been in a fight.

"What happened to you?" Akane asked, concerned.

"Went ten rounds with Ryoga. He blamed me for losing his ability to do chi attacks," Ranma grumbled.

"Are you all right?" Akane asked with concern.

Ranma responded with a snore.

Akane shook her head, and then looked back at her friends. They were staring at Ranma in shock.

"Why is he sleeping in your bed?" Yuka asked.

Akane's face turned deep red as she blushed, playing with her engagement ring. "It's, sort of, his bed too now."

"He's sharing your room?!" Sayuri and Yuka screeched.

Akane nodded.

"So, you've had sex with him," Sayuri said more as a statement than a question.

Akane nodded. "We've been lovers since the training trip."

"How have you been able to keep this a secret?" Yuka asked.

"Primarily by letting as few people know as possible, and by a standing threat of a sparring session to Nabiki if she sells any information about this. But, I am surprised that we've been able to keep it a secret this long," Akane replied.

"The rumor horde has been saying you two are lovers, but what they say rarely holds water," Yuka commented.

"Water... bad..." Ranma muttered in her sleep.

"Actually the rumor horde is probably what keeps it from becoming known," Sayuri said.

"How's that?" Akane asked.

Sayuri shrugged. "It's just that they've been spouting so many false rumors about you and Ranma that when one is actually true, no one really believes it. Some students think you've been lovers since he got here, while others will refuse to believe the rumors until they have some form of confirmation. Most of the people in between no longer really care if you're lovers or not. Those that do care no longer listen to the rumor horde because much of what they say is false."

Akane smiled. "So as long as certain people keep their mouths shut, nothing should happen."

Sayuri nodded, "Exactly."

Yuka continued to stare at Ranma. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she asked, "Have you done it girl to girl yet?"

"Um... yes," Akane blushed.

"So, which is better?" Yuka inquired.

"When he's a guy," Akane answered firmly.

"Why?" Yuka pressed, not exactly sure why she wanted to know.

"Well, he doesn't really like being a girl, so he's not... as eager." Akane fidgeted. "Also, I kind of get some pleasure in pleasuring him. While it's nice when he cums as a girl, there's something more to it when he orgasms in me," Akane said, her hands were, sort of, pointing below her waist.

"Now Akane... are you bi?" Yuka asked.

Sayuri shook her head at her curious friend.

"Huh?" Akane emitted.

"Are you bi-sexual? You know, like both guys and girls sexually," Yuka pressed.

Akane blinked. "Erm... well... I... I guess in a way... but not really. I prefer guys, and I don't normally look at girls that way..." She shifted uneasy, wishing she could be more firm with her answer. "...but it's different with Ranma. I mean, I love him and it doesn't matter to me if he's a girl too."

Yuka leaned forward. "So you have looked at girls that way?"

The blush Akane had been wearing deepened. "Th-that was more because I was curious about him. I knew there would be times we would make love with him being a girl so... I sort of looked at girls wondering what it would be like... I wasn't really interested in them."

Sayuri was starting to get a bit unnerved with that discussion, so she decided to change the subject. "What are the chances that you're pregnant?"

Akane was a bit relieved with that question. "Probably not."

"Do you want to get pregnant?" Yuka asked.

Akane shook her head. "Not yet. We've been using protection to prevent that." Well, she had tried to, and she will again once she gets the pills.

Yuka looked a little disappointed, while Sayuri looked relieved.

Sayuri decided she had enough of letting Yuka's curiosity lead the conversation, and let her own curiosity take over. "So, Akane, what's it like to have sex?"

Akane proceeded to tell Sayuri and Yuka more about having sex than they ever heard before. To say they were envious that their friend was sharing her room with a guy, was an understatement. To say they were jealous when Akane described some of the things she did with Ranma was like saying Ryoga was a little depressed. But what Yuka and Sayuri did like was that, besides Akane's sisters, they were the only ones to know that much information about the engaged couple. They promised themselves to put the tips Akane gave about having sex to good use whenever they meet 'Mr. Right' or at least 'Mr. You'll Do For Now.'

* * *

Young love knew no restraint. The young lovers were lost to their own world. It took one of them a moment to realize she was being licked in two different areas at the same time.

Akane's eyes flashed open and looked down, and screamed, "Happosai!"

Ranma, rather startled that Akane screamed someone else's name, especially THAT name, stopped what he was doing. He looked up and saw Happosai licking Akane's breast.

"DIE, FREAK!" Ranma shouted, launching a punch at the lech.

Happosai laughed and jumped unto the back of Ranma's arm, avoiding the attack completely. "Now can't you let an old man have some fun, too?"

"Not with Akane, you don't!" Ranma let loose a series of attacks at the demented master.

"It's not nice hogging her all for yourself." Happosai danced around the teen's punches.

"Oooph!" Ranma landed against the wall as Akane's punch connected with him, missing her intended target.

Akane kept attacking the old fart while she apologized, "Sorry, Ranma."

Happosai ignored her and rushed at Ranma poking him several times below the waist.

Ranma's hardness had dropped a bit after the battle began, but know it went completely limp, too quickly to be a natural. "What did ya do, ya old freak!?"

"I hit your impotence point." Happosai grinned evilly at Ranma.

"You bastard!" Akane yelled, attempting to land a hit.

Happosai flipped behind Akane. With his hand, he touched her intimately between the legs, and with his pipe, he touched just below the base of her skull.

A shriek of rage and a glow of unearthly blue, Akane punched the ancient lech through the wall.

"He dies!" Ranma vowed. He grabbed at his pants, and was about to put them on.

Akane's legs shook and she collapsed onto her knees. "R-Ranma, w-wait."

"What is it Akane?" Ranma asked, concerned.

"I-I'm h-horn-ny, s-so u-un-g-g-god-l-l-ly h-h-horn-n-ny," she tried to say.

Ranma sighed, knowing what he had to do and dropped his pants. He then guided Akane back to the bed and returned to what he was doing before the lech showed up. Even as he pleasured her, nothing was happening for him. Even as she found bliss, he was feeling no arousal of any kind.

"T-thanks." Akane panted heavily. "Oh, gods, I-I'm still h-horny."

Ranma sighed and continued to work on her body for over an hour. He brought her to orgasm many, many times. He was finally able to stop after she passed out from exhaustion. The entire time his anger built as the only pleasure he got was that he was pleasuring Akane. Not once did his body react to what he was doing.

Ranma quickly grabbed his pants and put them on, and left the room. He rushed downstairs for the phone and started dialing. He started to get impatient on the second ring.

On the eighth ring, the other end picked up. "Whoever you are, I hate you," Cologne's said in a tired voice.

"Old... Honored Elder, I need your help," Ranma said.

"What seems to be the problem, Ranma?" Cologne was startled and concerned. For Ranma to call after midnight was one thing, but for him to call her 'Honored Elder' meant there was serious trouble.

"The old freak used some impotence pressure point on me and a lust pressure point on Akane," Ranma informd, his voice both worried and angry.

Cologne had him explain the exact placement of the pressure points, and was troubled. "I know of those pressure points, but I'm afraid I do not know how to reverse them. Happosai stole the only chart the Amazons had concerning those moves before I had a chance to learn all of them. We will need to get it from him."

"Just great," Ranma spat out like he just cursed. "You sure you don't know anything that might help?"

"I do not. I'll look into it. I'll talk to you later once I learn something," Cologne told him.

"Yeah, whatever. Bye." Ranma hung up the phone and dialed another number.

It was picked up on the fifth ring. "Dr. Tofu speaking."

"Hi, doc, I need your help," Ranma said.

"What's the problem?" Dr. Tofu asked, and the conversation repeated the one with Cologne. "That is a problem. I do know of a point that might reduce Akane's feelings of lust, but I don't know any that could help you. I could stop by first thing in the morning to administer it to her, or is that too much of a problem?"

"No, doc, that would be fine. See ya then. Bye." Ranma hung up the phone and sighed.

"Ranma?" he heard Akane call from the stairs.

Ranma looked at her sadly. "The old fart has the only chart with our cures. Dr. Tofu may be able to help reduce your lust, though. He'll be here in the morning."

"I see." Akane bit her lower lip. "Ranma, why don't you see if you can make love as a girl?"

"I guess I have to." Ranma sounded defeated. He needed to get the chart from Happosai, but he couldn't leave Akane the way she was right now.

* * *

Happosai approached the Tendo home for the second time in the same night. He stealthily moved to the now convenient hole in Akane's room. Peering into the room, he used a supreme effort to not start laughing with glee. The old lech pulled out a video camera and started taping.

Ranma and Akane were laying on the bed, making love as only two women could.

Happosai fought down the urge to join them, knowing Ranma would likely go berserk. He just sat there taping them having lesbian sex with a shit-ass grin on his face.

The ancient lech had hoped Ranma would've run off trying to fight him for the cure and so he'd be able to return and be used as Akane's love slave. Or possibly return to find her making love to someone else. He didn't expect to see Ranma making love to Akane as a girl, which he now considered the second best possible outcome for his plans.

Happosai continued to tape them, and admired Ranma's female endurance. She wasn't hit with the supreme lust pressure point, and she was going at it with Akane for hours. That particular pressure point caused the victim to be so hungry for sex, they would not be able to sleep for long periods of time, especially during the first twenty-four hours.

Happosai was rather upset when he the video tape ran out. Ranma and Akane were still going at it. He banished the thought of just replacing the tape since it was late in the morning now. He would be noticed if he stayed around until the sun began to rise.

The ancient lech cackled gleefully after he was a fair distance from the Tendo home. Ranma would finally pay for all the trouble. He had hoped Akane would have more trouble, but she'll have her issues soon enough. She'll pay for punching him into the ocean and into the arms of that love struck octopus. Now to the next phase of his plans.

* * *

Nodoka answered the door and greeted the visitor in a friendly manner, "Hello, Dr. Tofu. What brings you here this morning?"

"Hello, Nodoka. Ranma called me last night and said he needed to see me," Dr. Tofu replied.

Nodoka blinked. "He did?"

"Oh, good. Doc, you're finally here," Ranma muttered out in a very weary voice from the top of the stairs.

Nodoka looked at her disheveled looking female son, and blinked. Certainly Ranma wouldn't have...

"How are you and Akane?" Dr. Tofu asked, concerned.

"Tired. The lust pressure point Happosai used on Akane is preventing her from falling asleep for long," Ranma informed.

"I hope I can help." Dr. Tofu moved up the stairs and followed Ranma to Akane.

Nodoka didn't exactly understand what was going on, but she didn't like what she heard. She followed them.

Dr. Tofu moved to Akane's side. She was sitting in bed, holding a sheet to her chest and shaking. "P-please h-help m-me," she pleaded, her voice was tired and trembling.

Dr. Tofu pressed at several points on Akane's bare back. She visibly relaxed and almost collapsed into unconsciousness.

"How are you feeling now?" the doctor asked.

"Tired... and still a little hornier than usual, I think. I should be able to cope with it." Akane smiled weakly. "Thank you, Dr. Tofu. You're the best." With that, she slumped into bed and was asleep before hitting the pillow.

"What happened?" Nodoka asked.

"Happosai paid us a visit last night. He hit Akane's lust pressure point..." Ranma looked at the ground. "And my male impotence point."

"Oh, dear. Is there a cure?" Nodoka's voice shook with concern.

Ranma clenched her fists. "Happosai has it. I would've went looking for it, but I needed to be here to help Akane."

Nodoka frowned. "Is there a reason why you're a girl?"

Ranma looked away with a blush. "The old freak hit my male impotence point. If I was to get any pleasure from last night, I had to be a girl."

Nodoka scowled. "That may be so, but certainly Akane would've preferred not to have sex with a girl."

Ranma still couldn't look her in the eye. "Mom, she likes doing it that way. She prefers me as a guy, but last night was not our first time we made love with me being a girl."

Nodoka's eyebrow twitched. "Who suggested that you should have sex as a girl?"

Ranma shifted uneasily. "Akane did. If I had it my way, I'd always be a guy. But after, you know, I sorta gave her final say about what we do in bed."

"I see. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll save some food for when you wake up," Nodoka suggested. It was Akane's idea. Ranma was only doing THAT because the woman he loves asked him to. That would be manly, she guessed. She sighed, trying to convince herself of that thought. "Dr. Tofu, why don't you stay for breakfast. I'm sure Kasumi would be happy to see you."

"I'd be delighted," he answered with a grin, and gave a prayer of thanks for his long training trip where he found the means to control his love sickness. He followed Nodoka out of Ranma's and Akane's room and shut the door behind him.

Ranma was in bed and asleep before they had left.

* * *

Author's Note:

The 'love struck octopus' Happosai referred to ate the life time love pill and looked at the old lech. That story occurred in both the manga and anime.


	12. Demonic Influences

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_By Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Demonic Influences**

* * *

Ranma rubbed his forehead. Between hunting for Happosai and pleasuring Akane for hours he was extremely tired and stressed out. He was a little thankful about going to school since it allowed him to rest. Still, he wanted to know where the old lech had gone. Even angry, Akane couldn't have him too far with a punch.

Ranma sighed, thankful that Akane was less horny now. Keeping up with her was still being a problem, as she still carved sex and HE couldn't perform for her.

Ranma leaned back into his chair. At least Nekoken seemed to be getting under control. He could now look at a picture of a c-cat and not be too afraid.

"Ah, S-Saotome, can I talk to you?" Gosunkugi asked nervously.

"What do you want?" Ranma asked in mild disgust.

Gosunkugi shifted nervously. "Um, Kuno's gone mad."

Ranma folded his arms. "What was your first clue?"

Gosunkugi waved his arms. "No. I mean Kuno went over the edge. He found some ancient scroll that is supposed to summon a demon!"

Ranma raised his eyebrow. "How would you know that?"

"He wanted me to cast the spell. Like I know anything about magic," Gosunkugi answered. If he did then his voodoo dolls would've worked, and Akane would have been his. He mentally slapped himself. It was over. Akane loved Ranma. Happosai's video proved that quite well. And what a great video that was too.

Ranma thought for a second, and then asked, "Why are ya drooling?"

Gosunkugi quickly wiped his face. "Huh? I wasn't d-drooling. Ah, anyway, I just thought you should know what he was planning. He might even try to cast it himself." He then ran off.

"Even if he could summon it, it's not like I couldn't handle it," Ranma said smugly. He didn't need any more headaches. He would have to see if Nabiki could keep an eye on the over-inflated samurai, hoping she wouldn't charge too much for it.

* * *

"Now, Old Ghoul, why do you want to train me now? I still haven't found the ol' lech," Ranma asked, while he was suspended from some trees in a park.

"Happosai is currently in hiding. We won't be able to find him until he is ready to be found. So you might as well train while we wait," Cologne answered.

"All right. Let's do it." Ranma prepared himself...

Cologne released a boulder, letting it slam into the young martial artist. She didn't bother to inform of how he should do the move, he had seen it often enough.

"Again," Ranma called.

This repeated three more times. On the fourth try, Ranma attempted the move and wrote 'shi' on the boulder by poking holes into it.

Cologne looked at the kanji. "Do you want to kill the boulder or Happosai?"

"Happosai."

The elder Amazon smacked Ranma on the head. "Keep your mind on learning the technique. You can think about maiming Happy later."

Ranma readied himself. He watched as the boulder screamed towards him. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" The boulder then exploded in tiny bits. Ranma, however, was in a good deal of pain as the shrapnel of the boulder bit into him.

"Hmm. Sometimes you are just too good." Cologne shook her head. "You learned the move before your endurance built up high enough- and here I thought Akane had helped you with that. Oh, well. Now, Ranma, I will set up another boulder. Do not blow it up. You need to be hit by it about a hundred times."

Ranma just groaned, hanging limply in the air.

* * *

Ranma walked home, looking like every bone in his body had been broken. He hurt all over. The fact that a bus could hit him now and he wouldn't feel it did little to soothe the pain from the repeated blows from a boulder.

"Oh, my dearest Ranma-sama?! What has befallen you? Has that wretched Tendo girl hurt you again?"

Ranma shuddered uncontrollably hearing Kodachi's voice. "Nah. Just training in a bizarre technique. I've gotta..."

Kodachi leapt in front of him brandishing a video tape. "Oh. You don't have to lie to me. I know the wench left you for the pig-tailed girl."

"What are you talkin' about?" Ranma asked, a bit startled.

"Why, this video, of course! It must sadden you that Akane chose another girl over you. Let me comfort you." Kodachi spread her arms wide and moved to grab him.

Ranma dodged the attempted hug by jumping back. "What's on that video?" he asked suspiciously.

"Why, Akane and the pig-tailed girl spending hours making mad passionate love!" Kodachi grinned evilly.

"Who gave you that?" Ranma asked coldly.

"That perverted panty thief," Kodachi replied.

"He is sooooo dead. When I get my hands on him, I'll rip him into little bits." Ranma grabbed the video from Kodachi's hands. "Forget you ever saw this."

Kodachi stared dumbfounded as he leapt away. "But Ranma-sama, what about what those wretched girls have done to you?" she asked, completely lost on his reaction. "Those terrible girls must have corrupted his mind with their perverted ways. I must free him!" She began to laugh her insane laugh, but then stopped cold. "I'm starting to sound like my brother."

* * *

Ranma and Akane walked cautiously onto the school grounds. Knowing that Kodachi had gotten a tape of them making love girl to girl made them very nervous about how many people who knew the tape existed and what was on it. And worse, they were afraid of how many of them actually had a tape.

"Saotome, you fiend! You have driven the virtuous Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl to each other's arms because of your evil! I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, SHALL SMITE YOU! ATATATATATATATATATATATAT!"

Ranma groaned. If anyone didn't know it before, they did now. He then got a devious idea, and stood there as Kuno charged with his bokken.

Akane fumed at Kuno's rant, but was surprised that Ranma was just standing there.

Kuno's attack connected with Ranma, sending him through the school wall fence. The bokken, however, had shattered from impacting pig-tailed martial artist.

Kuno's triumphant grin was short-lived as Ranma stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "Is that the best you can do? I didn't even feel it."

"You dare mock me?!" Kuno shouted in outrage.

"I don't have to. You do a good job of that by yourself," Ranma quipped. He was quite thankful that Kuno was allowing him to work off some of his anger.

"Die, foul fiend!" Kuno shouted, but without a bokken he was easy prey as Ranma kicked him in the gut and face in a single motion. The kendo master fell back from the blow. "I shall never be defeated. I shall see you pay for turning my loves into lesbians!"

"Oh, Kuno-sempai," Akane said with the warmth of a grave in the middle of Siberia during winter. When he turned to look at her, she shouted, "EAT SHIT AND DIIIEEEE!"

"I think he may have achieved upper Earth orbit from that hit," Hiroshi commented.

"How long before you think he'll be back?" Daisuke asked.

Hiroshi shrugged. "In time for to give us some entertainment at lunch."

* * *

Gym, Ranma's and Akane's favorite class. Today, however, they really wished they didn't have that class.

The locker room was rather uncomfortable for Ranma as he was drilled by various questions about his sexual relationship with Akane. He refused to answer under penalty of death, his own at Akane's hands.

Akane, however, was beyond the point of being uncomfortable. She ignored the graffiti she found on her locker, and changed in absolute silence. She pointedly looked away from everyone else, not so much to prevent them from thinking she might find them attractive, as to avoid their accusing glares. She refused to listen to gossip which was all about her.

Akane realized the fact she could single handily kick the ass of every girl in the locker room at the same time was the only thing that prevented them from doing worse than defacing her locker.

Akane had no idea of how to explain having sex with Ranma when he was girl that they would accept. She was a pervert in their eyes, and nothing would ever change that now.

It saddened Akane, but she understood why Sayuri and Yuka had distanced themselves from her. That if they showed support for her right now, they might be seen as being perverted too. It still hurt that she was alone against this. Ranma would not get any ridicule for this, but she suspected the graffiti on her locker was only the beginning for her.

Akane was sort of thankful Nabiki had promised to defuse the situation, but the threat of the sparing session was no longer in effect. Her sister now had free rein to tell everyone about her sex life. Akane hoped the price was worth it and the next time she went to gym, they wouldn't treat her like a traitor.

* * *

Shampoo rode her bike back from a delivery. She was both sad and angry. Her 'brother' Ranma was the love of her life, and he'd rather marry a perverted, violent maniac than her. Of course, the 'perverted' part might've helped that kitchen destroyer to win. She wouldn't be able to make love to Ranma if he was ever stuck as a girl, but the perverted girl obviously would.

Shampoo's thoughts were cut short by the appearance of an ugly old man that was perched on her bike's handlebars. "Hello, Shampoo-chan," Happosai grinned.

"What lech want?" Shampoo demanded with a scowl.

Happosai held up a black video cassette. "Perhaps you'd be interested in a little tape I've got."

Shampoo's scowl deepened. "No want to watch perverts screwing each other."

"Oh? And do you know WHO is on this tape?" Happosai asked, a little surprised.

"Kitchen destroyer and EX-husband, or should say ex-wife, on tape," Shampoo hissed.

Happosai was rather surprised at this. "Well, if you're not interested then I'll..."

"Going somewhere, Happy?" Cologne interrupted him with an arctic voice.

"Li'l Cologne, ah, perhaps you'd be interested in a certain tape?" Happosai asked nervously.

"No, I already have a couple copies. They are... quite interesting. Now, Happosai, you do realize what you've done is unforgivable," Cologne intoned.

Happosai looked like he could care less. "Heh. I've heard that before."

Cologne's gaze hardened. "True, but this time being run off Jokensuku land will not be enough."

"Oh? And just what do you think you can do to me? I have always proven to be stronger than you," Happosai mocked.

"Me nothing. A cat, however, will do the job quite nicely," Cologne said with a malevolent grin.

* * *

Ranma and Akane walked home in an uncomfortable silence. Akane was furious over how she had been treated that day, and Ranma didn't want to become the focus of that anger.

They stopped when they saw Shampoo, Cologne and Happosai a little ways down the block.

"Akane, go home to our room with some water," Ranma commanded.

"Why? I want to kill that lech, too, you know," Akane said angrily.

"'Cause Shampoo is there. So there's a good chance I'll go c-cat. Unless you want me to try to have sex with you in the middle of the street, go home."

Akane scowled at Ranma, but couldn't refute what he said. While she wanted to mutilate Happosai, the risk was a bit too high that Ranma would go cat and might shred her clothes in public. She dashed home without a single word, but a VERY angry scowl.

Ranma ran towards Happosai, and heard Cologne say, "Me nothing. A cat, however, will do the job quite nicely."

Ranma watched in shock as Cologne pulled out a bucket from nowhere and splashed Shampoo. Being nervous about facing the old lech in full battle only helped trigger Neko-ken. "C-C-C-C...RRReeOOOWWW!" Ranma hissed.

Happosai looked at the boy-turned-cat, and became afraid as the boy-turned-cat licked his chops.

"It's been nice knowing you, Happy," Cologne said, watching the 'cat' play with his 'prey.' The 'mouse' tried to escape from being hunted, but the 'cat' proved to be faster.

* * *

Akane waited for Ranma to return. She HATED to wait, especially when Ranma was out fighting some impossible threat. He could get hurt fighting Happosai, and she was doing nothing but waiting for him to come home like a good little wife would. She punched the wall. Next time, she would NOT be the one left behind. She would never be able to forgive herself if Ranma was hurt and she had done nothing to stop it.

Ranma hopped in through her window, causing her to sigh in relief. He then meowed sadly at her. She poured a bucket of water onto him.

Ranma blinked a couple times, then stood up. The sight of some blood on her hands were NOT a welcomed sight.

"Ranma, are you okay?" Akane asked.

"I'm not sure." Ranma left the room and went to the upstairs bathroom to wash her hands. Several minutes later Ranma returned to his room just as Cologne entered through the window.

"Hello, Ranma, Akane. I have your cures," Cologne said holding a couple scrolls.

"How is the old freak? Is he...?" Ranma asked.

"He lives, barely. I have imprisoned him using Amazon magic. It will be a long time before he'll bother anyone again," Cologne informed.

Ranma let out a long breath, hoping Cologne had told him the truth. He took the scrolls from the matriarch. "Um, thanks for your help."

Cologne nodded, and left.

Ranma looked over the scrolls. "Okay, here's my cure. Hmm... I'll need your help with this Akane. I won't be able to touch some of these points too well."

Akane noticed where the locations were and nodded. She then locked the door, while Ranma shut the window and pulled down the window shade.

Ranma then pulled down his pants and lay down on the bed. Akane walked over and studied the pressure point chart. He carefully corrected her finger positions. She then pressed into him and was disappointed that nothing seemed to happen.

"That should've worked," Akane said.

"Why don't you try to stimulate it?" Ranma asked with a grin.

Akane's disappointment quickly vanished. They didn't cure Akane of the lust pressure point until much later that night.

* * *

Akane built up her determination and walked into the Ucchan's. She was greeted by Ukyou's cold stare. "What do you want?"

"I thought I'd try again to patch things up between us," Akane said with some nervousness.

"Do you really think that's possible? You're screwing the man I love! Even when he's a girl! If Ranma had chosen me, can you honestly say you would still be friends with me?" Ukyou snarled angrily.

The sole customer was rather enjoying this 'conversation.'

Akane looked down. "I hope I would, but I don't know. I know I would at least try." After she had beaten Ranma into a bloody pulp.

"Do you have ANY idea how much it hurts me thinking of Ranma knowing he's sleeping in your bed?" Ukyou spat out.

"Well, I do have some idea. I was in love with Dr. Tofu for a long time and he was in love with Kasumi. Having him help me with my injuries and hoping he would fall in love with me only to have those hopes destroyed with my own sister saying, 'hello.' He'd then act like an insane, giddy little school boy who couldn't even think straight," Akane recalled fondly.

"Oh? And how did you recover when you realized you lost?" Ukyou questioned bitterly.

Akane shifted uneasily. "Um, I, ah, guess I sort of had fallen in love with Ranma by then."

"How convenient for you," Ukyou said darkly.

Akane shook her head. "It helped, but the real cure was time."

"Oh, yes. Time. It took me ten years to find Ranma, how long do you think it'll be before I'm 'over' Ranma? Hmm?" Ukyou shot at her.

Akane sighed. "Months, maybe years."

Ukyou nodded curtly. "If then."

"Ukyou, I'm sorry that you're being hurt because of this. I wish there was a way I could make it up to you."

Ukyou slammed her hand on the counter. "Sure there is. Give me back my fiancee."

Akane held a hand to her chest. "You know I can't and won't do that. I love him."

"So do I!" Ukyou hissed.

Akane nodded sadly. "I know. But Ranma is in love with..."

The hair on the back of Akane's and Ukyou's necks bristled and both dove for cover as the front of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki exploded into toothpicks. The customer who had enjoyed the conversation so far, was now taking a nice nap after being hit in the head by part of the wall. Before Akane had a chance to get up from the floor, a three plus meter black... thing picked her up by her shoulder.

A gravelly voice crunched out, "A Saotome. Die." Its thumb moved under Akane's chin.

"I'm not a Saotome yet," Akane choked out. She was a bit thankful that the thing's hand was too big to choke her properly. She tried in vain to kick it.

"Spiritually, you are." It tightened its grasp.

Ukyou looked at the thing with cold hatred. It was wrecking her restaurant. It was calling Akane a Saotome. It was asking to be shredded into little bits. She launched into her attack, sending a volley of spatulas and following up by swinging her big freaking spatula.

The thing looked amused as it stared down at Ukyou, not appearing to be hurt in the slightest.

"Hold, demon!" someone shouted from outside.

Ukyou hoped Kuno would actually be of some use as she sent a volley of exploding flour.

The demon turned towards Kuno, completely ignoring the chef's attacks. "What? You commanded that Saotome should die. She is one."

Kuno pointed at the demon with his bokken. "I meant Saotome Ranma, fiend. Besides, that is the fair Tendo Akane, and she is not a Saotome."

"What you meant, means nothing. You said Saotome dies, so ALL who spiritually bare the name Saotome shall die. And she is a Saotome," the creature intoned.

"I will not allow you to harm her!" Kuno rushed the demon but was knocked across the street into unconsciousness.

Ukyou was getting very annoyed at being ignored.

The demon's head turned to Akane to notice she was glowing.

"Akane... HA!" A burst of crimson chi erupted from the captive girl.

The demon yelped, dropping Akane. It looked at its lightly scorched arm. "Interesting. I see you're more of a guy than that cross-dresser."

Ukyou attacked it again, and she wondered what the point was. Only raw chi attacks hurt it so far.

The demon chuckled. "Too bad you aren't both a guy and a girl, then you might be able to kill me."

"Then I guess you want ta fight me."

The demon turned to the source of that 'noise.' It grinned. "Another Saotome to kill."

"In your dreams." Ranma raced forward and attacked the foul thing.

Ukyou was surprised to note the demon was hurt by the five punches Ranma landed, although not as much as the fiend's one blow hurt him, unfortunately.

"You don't look like a hermaphrodite," the demon said surprised at its injuries.

"Ever hear of Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked with a smirk.

"Shit. I'll still kill you," the demon spat.

"I'm getting sick of hearing that," Ranma groused.

The demon resumed the fight with Ranma, while Akane took occasional shots at the creature's head with chi blasts.

The demon was in pain, but so was Ranma. He noticed that the creature wasn't putting out any chi, and yet chi punches only added a little to the damage. He had to come up with a way stop it. One of Akane's chi blasts cut the air between himself and the demon and he smiled.

Ranma ran to Akane, surprise both her and the demon. "You nearly hit me that time, ya uncute, cunt loving, tomboy!"

Akane's eyes widen in shock. "WHAT?!"

"You heard me. Why are you trying to 'help?' Or are you trying to blow my head off? You know you can't hit the broadside of the barn!" Ranma yelled at her.

The demon snarled. "Don't you dare ignore me."

"Stay out of this!" replied the black-haired youths.

The demon launched into an attack. Ranma grabbed Akane and started to dodge back and forth across the street in front of Ucchan's while holding her.

"Let go of me!" Akane shouted. Part of her realized what Ranma was doing and was desperately holding onto any reason to be angry.

"Hiryu Shuten HA!" Ranma spiraled a fist into a punch as close as he dared to Akane.

Ukyou watched in morbid fascination as a tornado formed before her, carrying the demon, the still unconscious Kuno, Akane and Ranma into the sky.

Ranma was dismayed, but not overly surprised that he was carried into the air along with Akane, considering she was the source of hot chi and he wasn't about to let go of her.

Kuno was almost immediately thrown out of the tornado and into another ward, but only after most of his cloths were ripped to shreds by flying debris.

Being closer to the edge of the tornado, the demon didn't stay in it for long before being hurled out of it.

Ranma watched the demon while it fell. "Akane, prepare to exit. Come out in a chi kick. We'll land on the demon."

Akane nodded, clutching onto Ranma.

Ranma tried to control their escape point but exited a little off. He fired a short chi blast to correct their descent.

The demon looked up from where it landed to see two feet covered in chi rush towards its face.

Ukyou's eyes widened in shock at the sickening crack of the demon's skull and the sight of its head exploding.

Ranma rolled when they landed, making sure Akane would take none of the damage. They stood up and looked at what they had done. They had killed a demon, that was trying to kill them. That's what they were suppose to do, and they shouldn't feeling bad for it. Right?

"Ewww! It's in my shoe," Akane said a little squeamishly, feeling the demon's blood soaking her sock.

Then the demon seemed to begin to blow away with the wind bit by bit. Soon, even the blood that had soaked through Akane's sock was gone.

"So, Kuno was stupid enough to summon it." Ranma said, shaking his head. He looked at his fiancee. "Are you all right?"

"Beside, a couple bruises, I'm fine. How are you?"

Ranma smirked. "Not a scratch."

Akane scowled at him. "Idiot." She then sighed. "Why is it so easy for you to get my goat?"

Ranma imitated the sound of a goat, for which he got his arm slapped.

They then looked over at what had been Ucchan's Okonomiyaki.

"Sorry about this," Akane said. "We'll help you clean."

Ranma nodded in agreement.

Ukyou looked around, and almost screamed. She yelled obscenities instead. She then accepted their help, since they were part of the cause.

Ukyou let them do all of the cleaning out front and the service area, while she was busy cleaning the kitchen. Ranma and Akane tried to talk to her, but she wasn't being very cooperative.

Ukyou was actually a little pleased when Ranma and Akane left. The closeness between the two was disturbing. Even in her dreams she had never been that close to Ranma.

As far as Ukyou was concerned the entire day was disturbing. Fighting a demon, having her restaurant gutted, watching her... ex-fiance with his fiancee, and seeing a tornado from only meters away; yep, quite a strange day. One she didn't want to repeat.

"May you live an interesting life," Ukyou muttered. Realizing how true what Akane had said over a week earlier was, that Ranma had that curse. Ukyou could not, would not put up with many days like the one she had today. Akane, however, acted as if it was a normal day. Ukyou didn't understand that, she didn't want to. Akane helped kill a demon, and then was joking with Ranma a minute later.

Ukyou sank to her knees and cried. Marrying Ranma had been her dream, and she had accepted it would never happen, but to know it wouldn't have worked even if the dream had come true was almost more than she could bear. She wouldn't be able to stand the insanity of Ranma's life.

* * *

Author's note:

Thanks to Freemage for going over the original version and everyone who has sent comments and critism.


	13. Coming to Terms

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_By Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

**Chapter 13 - (Coming to) Terms**

* * *

Akane let out a long breath causing the bath water she was sitting in to ripple. The person with her asked if something was wrong. "No, Ranma, nothing's wrong."

Ranma shook his head. "I know something is bothering you. Is it Happosai's tape? Ucchan? The demon?"

Akane flinched slightly on the first two questions, but her head dropped and fell into a shallow nod for the third.

"Killing that demon was something that had to be done. You shouldn't think about it more than that," Ranma asserted.

Akane hugged herself. "But I can't help but think about it. I've never killed anything before, and I crushed his skull." She started to cry.

Ranma drew Akane into a hug. "It was a demon, Akane. It was something sick and abhorrent that needed to be put down. We did the right thing. What would it have done if we hadn't?"

"It would've killed anyone who was a Saotome," Akane admitted.

"Ya see, if it didn't die Mom, Pop and I would be dead." Ranma then blinked. "Why did it go after you?"

"Spiritually I'm already a Saotome, at least that's what the demon said," Akane replied.

"Do you want either of us to die?" Ranma questioned seriously.

Akane broke free of Ranma. "No! Why would you ever ask that?"

Ranma poked her forehead. "Because, Akane, it was either that thing or us."

"We could've found another way," Akane retorted.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. With preparation we might've been able to banish it or somethin', but we had ta kill not only to make sure we live but that it didn't go after Mom and Pop while we tried to defeat it some other way," Ranma pointed out.

Akane bowed her head. "I... guess you're right, but I wish I hadn't been forced to do that."

Ranma nodded. "I wish I'd never had to kill anybody, but sometimes we don't get the choice."

Akane almost breathed the name, Saffron. Ranma's first kill and all because he was trying to save her.

They remained quite for a long moment.

"Are you going to be all right?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah. I guess, but school will be a bit hard to deal with," Akane muttered.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, that damn tape won't be something they'll be able to forget about soon."

"Um, Ranma..." Akane sank deeper into the water. "About that... well, you know Nabiki was going to help with that. Um, you see she'll be doing something that will help the girls to stop thinking I'm a complete pervert."

Ranma's gaze flattened, not liking her tone one bit. "Why do I feel that I'm not going to like how she did that?"

Akane blushed deep red. "She took pictures and taped us last night and has already started to sell them."

Ranma gasped. "Last night? Sell them? You knew?!"

Akane nodded. "It comes with an explanation of why we did what we did on Happosai's tape. The tape should help counter our lesbian image."

Ranma blinked. "OUR lesbian image?"

Akane tried to giggle. "Well, some of the girls at school think we've only made love as girls."

Ranma groaned. "That's stupid."

Akane nodded. "Maybe, but that's what they think."

"Sometimes it doesn't pay to wake up," Ranma bemoaned.

* * *

When Ranma and Akane arrived at school, they saw that Kuno was shaking with rage.

Kuno waved his bokken threateningly. "It... it wasn't enough to send my loves to depths of depravity nor to strip me naked and dump me like some foul refuse, but for you to have befouled the very bed of Tendo Akane as well- I SHALL SMITE THEE!"

Akane giggled remembering what Ranma's Hiryu Shuten Ha did to the deluded fool.

Ranma dodged Kuno's attacks with careless abandon. "I sleep with Akane because we love each other and want to be together. If she didn't want me there, I'd still be in the guestroom. Don't know what you're talkin' about leavin' you naked though."

"I will not listen to your heinous lies. Die foul cretin." Kuno continued to swing his wooden weapon.

"Stop livin' in a dream world and ya might actually get somewhere with a girl without havin' to pay for her time." Ranma decided to try out his new trick. He poked the ground right underneath the samurai.

Kuno flew a few a meters from the explosion and took a nap.

"Thought that was Ryoga's trick," Hiroshi commented.

"Sure was." Daisuke nodded.

"Think it'll piss off the lost boy?" Hiroshi questioned.

Daisuke grinned. "Most definitely."

"How long do you think it'll be before he shows up again?" Hiroshi wondered.

Daisuke thought for a second. "It's been almost a week, so any time now. Probably will be around to give us lunch entertainment, after school at worst."

Hiroshi shrugged. "I think I'll just watch 'Anything Goes Carnal Martial Arts 2 - Akane verses male Ranma."

"You got one?!" Daisuke chirped in surprise.

Hiroshi lifted his book bag. "Got it right here."

Daisuke drooled a bit. "Cool! We can watch it at my place. Mom's out visiting Sis at college."

Hiroshi nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

Akane wasn't looking forward to this. Changing for gym used to not be a problem, but the questioning stares of her classmates were making her nervous. At least they weren't the accusing glares from yesterday. She tried to ignore them and began to change while facing the wall.

"Akane, can I, ah, ask you something?" one girl asked.

Akane gulped. "Um, sure."

"Is it true that you and Ranma were under the effects of something that panty thief did?" the girl asked.

Akane nodded, blushing slightly.

"You didn't have a choice but to make love to Ranma like that?" the girl pressed.

Akane nodded. "I can't believe how horny I felt that night. I would've had sex with anyone. Even the old lech."

The girls shuddered.

"Did you have to screw Ranma as a girl though?" another girl asked.

"I needed to make love, and the old lech made it so Ranma couldn't perform as a guy. I'd rather have sex with him as a girl than not have him enjoy it at all," Akane pointed out.

"So which do you prefer, Ranma as a guy or a girl?" a different girl questioned.

Akane's face was deep red. "As a guy, of course. I can't describe what it feels like with him inside me."

"Should we be expecting an addition to your family soon?" a girl asked excitedly.

Akane shook her head. "I've been using protection, but Mother Saotome might add to it soon."

"Any tips?" yet another girl wondered.

Akane grimaced. At least she wasn't seen as a traitor now, but this was very embarrassing.

* * *

Akane grumbled, returning home from her morning jog. She didn't look happy; actually, she looked like she had gone through a weed whacker. She stomped into the kitchen to get a first aid kit.

Nodoka looked at Akane in surprise, noticing the numerous cuts she had. "What happened?"

"Kodachi just won't take a hint," Akane said bitterly.

Nodoka had found Ranma's ability to attract suitors rather manly, but she really wished he hadn't picked up suitors that were so stubborn. "Do you have any ideas of how to stop her?"

"None. I've even broken her nose before and she's still won't stop!" Akane spat out angrily. "She and her idiotic brother just won't see reality. They think just because they're descendants from some high, rich nobility they can push everyone around, that they are inherently better. I would've of thought by now they'd realize that money and ancestry meant nothing to Ranma and me. Pounding them into paste only seems to encourage them."

Nodoka frowned, but then smiled a little at an idea. "You said that they feel superior because of their ancestry, right?"

Akane nodded, applying antiseptic to several of her wounds.

"They value the old ways and are committed into honoring them," Nodoka continued.

"Pretty much." Akane winced from treating her wounds. "Except they have the tendency to warp it to their already warped view."

Nodoka nodded. "Well, we just have to spell it out to them in a way that they can't warp it and entrench it into that which makes them feel superior, honoring the old ways."

Akane looked at Nodoka and hoped that, whatever her plan was, it would work. She went back to fixing up her wounds.

* * *

In the middle of the Tendo dojo sat Akane, Soun, Nodoka, Genma, and Ranma. Across from them were Kuno and Kodachi. To the side of the room sat Nabiki.

Nodoka frowned. She had wished Principal Kuno would've been here, but as Ranma and Akane had guessed- he didn't bother to show up. She cleared her voice as she began, "All of our families are traditional, with customs dating back to feudal Japan or earlier. We all respect honor and customs of the past, and hold family dear to our hearts."

Kuno scoffed at the idea of Ranma honoring anything.

Nodoka continued, "And, it has come to my attention that Tatewaki and Kodachi have made their intentions clear that they wish to pursue a relationship with Akane and Ranma. While your interests flatter them, they are not free to pursue such relationships. They have been engaged in accordance to feudal customs. For them not to marry would mar their family names. Any interference on the part of the Kuno clan or any further show of intent to pursue a relationship will not be tolerated."

"I cannot allow that vile cur to wed the fair Tendo Akane!" Kuno protested.

"It is not your right to interfere. This is a matter of the Tendo and Saotome clans. And let it also be known that by insulting Saotome Ranma, you insult all of the Saotome clan. Since the Tendo clan is bound by promise and intent to join together through marriage, an insult to the Saotome clan is an insult to the Tendo clan. An insult to the Tendo clan is an insult to Tendo Akane. By calling Ranma a vile cur, you've called all of us a vile cur," Nodoka intoned.

Kuno blinked and said nothing.

Kodachi could care less about what they were saying.

Nodoka gazed at them firmly. "The actions of Kuno Tatewaki at the attempted wedding ceremony can be seen as provocation of war between our clans, as could other acts that have been committed by your family members. The Saotome and Tendo Clans will no longer tolerate any hostility towards any of their members nor attempts to nullify the agreement to join our families by the Kuno clan. Any action committed will be seen as declaration of war and both of our families will be forced to react in kind.

"If the Kuno clan incites war, we will be required to raise all resources to fight you. You do not wish for us to do this. We have within our means to freeze all the assets of the Kuno clan, have members of your family arrested for various, documented crimes, and to martial a force of a minimum of four master level martial artists trained in multiple disciplines. At least two of the martial artists have within their capability of leveling the Kuno estate in a matter of minutes."

"But how can I allow Tendo Akane to be forced into a loveless marriage?" Kuno asked.

Akane answered, "The marriage would NOT be loveless. I have come to be in love with Ranma since his arrival."

"What do you have to say about this shameful engagement, Ranma-sama?" Kodachi asked.

"I, too, have come to love Akane since I have arrived here. I fully intend to marry her. I would intend to marry her even without it being arranged between our families," Ranma answered.

"I ask that the Kuno clan be allowed to challenge the agreement. That we shall offer up two champions, while your clans do the same. If we win this challenge, the agreement is declared null and void," Kuno said, hoping for a final chance to save his 'love'.

Nodoka replied, "We shall accept on the conditions that no further challenges can be made by the Kuno clan in regards to the engagement and any results generated by the engagement or this agreement. Also no further advances will be made towards the one you refer to as the 'pig-tailed girl.' ANY attempts to undermine the engagement, this agreement, or to assault on any member of our clans made by a member of the Kuno clan or anyone acting in accordance to the wishes of a member of the Kuno clan will be considered the final declaration of war. The challenge is to take place here in fifteen minutes."

Kuno was a little unnerved that he'd lose both his loves if he lost, but was confident in his ability and had some confidence in Kodachi's ability that they would win. "Agreed. I name myself and my sister, Kodachi, as the champions of the Kuno clan."

Kodachi nodded.

Nodoka said. "As champion for the Tendo clan, I name Tendo Akane, and for the Saotome clan, I name Saotome Ranma."

As the combatants prepared, Nabiki had everyone in the dojo sign a contract verifying the challenge. She then brought in several people to witness the fight, after they paid an admission fee.

When the fifteen minutes were up, Kodachi faced Akane and Ranma stood across from Kuno.

Nodoka signaled to begin the fight.

Kodachi let loose her ribbon. "This will be a short battle, and my darling Ranma-sama shall be free!"

Kuno charged. "I shall finally free my loves!"

Ranma dodged Kuno's attacks, and with a fierce kick of his own sent Kuno into the wall.

"Akane HA!" Akane shouted, sending Kodachi through the wall with a red chi blast.

Ranma blinked at the damage. "What emotion did you use?"

"I used my love for you," Akane replied, smiling, before barely dodging to the side of a razor hoop that sliced into the sleeve of her gi top and embedded itself to the wall behind her.

Kuno merely snarled as he attacked; he did not want to accidentally insult Ranma, realizing he would also insults Akane while the engagement was in place.

"Oh really?" Ranma dodged as Kuno struck at him. "Akaneken!" He punched the kendo master through the wall and into the stone fence surrounding the Tendo property. "Cool."

Kodachi charged with spiked clubs. Akane grabbed the Black Rose by her wrist and used her momentum to throw her across the dojo, where she landed headfirst.

Kuno charged back towards the dojo. "Ikazuchi Ha!" Ranma shouted, leaping into a jump kick with chi flaring around his foot. The Blue Thunder was sent through the stone fence and into the wall fence across the street. He wasn't the least bit conscious.

As Kodachi moved to get up, Akane brought down her full weight and chi-enhanced her punch to Kodachi's shoulder. Kodachi collapsed back onto the ground, and the pain caused her to black out.

Ranma carried Kuno back to the dojo and dropped him next to Kodachi.

"Cute, Ranma. 'Thunder strike' to take out the 'blue thunder,'" Akane commented.

Nabiki collected on her bets and had everyone there sign that they witnessed that the Kuno sibling had been defeated in the challenge.

* * *

Author's notes

Thanks to Free Mage and Michael Chase for reading the original version of this and to everyone who has sent comments and critism.

I am making Nekoken my current priority, and will hopefully have this series completed by Christmas as there will be one or two chapters remaining. This is the last of the reposts for now as the only other stories I've worked on are rather incomplete. 'It Wasn't a Dream' may get posted if I get around to finishing that story, other's that failed to make it past the first chapter were more detail story ideas than a series and much like 'The Insanity Continues' and 'Life of Chaos' are unlikely to ever be finished.


	14. Finals

**Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!**

_By Lord Archive_

Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.

This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.

* * *

** Chapter 14 - Finals**

* * *

"Shampoo, Ranma will be here shortly for some training. It's best that you stay away from him," Cologne informed.

The girl in question huffed. "Why? So, pervert girl won't get jealous?"

Cologne frowned. "The training will involve water and between his upcoming marriage, finals at school, and other situations he has much to fear. If you were to turn into a cat, he may fall into Nekoken quickly."

Shampoo glared. "Ranma no coward."

Cologne smirked. "Of course he's not. He is facing those fears head on, yet Nekoken is something he cannot control."

Shampoo frowned. "Then why escape to Nekoken?"

Cologne shook her head. "If only it was so simple to not retreat into being a cat."

"Why has it been so easy for Ranma to fall into Nekoken?" Shampoo wondered.

"Dear, opening one's heart fully to someone is the scariest thing a person can do in life. You open yourself to rejection and betrayal that can hurt far worse than a blade that pierces straight through your body. Ranma would rather fight Saffron a hundred times over than open his heart. Yet in approaching Akane, to ask her to be with him always, he has revealed his true feelings to her. And that is the true source of his fears," Cologne explained.

"But she didn't reject him," Shampoo pointed out.

"She does not bare his name yet. She could still fail to commit to marriage. He knows she wouldn't back away now, but the worry remains. She could decide that she really loved Ryoga instead." Cologne gazed at the girl intently. "And if Ranma had accepted your love, touched you as he has touched Akane, would you not feel the pain of his rejection and betrayal far worse than you already do?"

Shampoo pouted. "I would."

Cologne nodded. "Now tend to the restaurant."

"Yes, Great-grandmother." Shampoo stomped her feet as she walked away.

Cologne let out a sigh. "You know it's not polite to eavesdrop."

"You were talking about me," Ranma pointed out as he stepped out of a shadow.

Shampoo jumped having not realized he was there. She then ran away, not wanting to look at him.

Ranma folded his arms. "So, what is this training?"

"It is a challenge. You must touch me as a male. Succeed in this challenge and you shall gain a priceless Amazon treasure as a wedding present," Cologne intoned.

"Didn't you promise that stuff to Shampoo?" Ranma wondered.

"Shampoo is indeed the heir to my property, but I am not dead yet. I can still give you some things, but you will have to earn them. Failure will mean Shampoo will get to have them." Cologne opened her hand to reveal a pair golden rings. "Trust me, the Rings of Unity would serve well as wedding rings. Able to shift size to fit the user and linking the two who wear the rings."

Ranma punched his hand. "Well, that will help make things cheaper."

"The challenge begins NOW!" Cologne seemingly exploded in a shower of water.

Ranma wiped the now damp hair out of her eyes. "Old ghoul really isn't making this easy." She immediately gave chase.

* * *

"Hey, Akane, where's Ranma?" Ukyou wondered as she approached Furinkan High. "I haven't seen him since yesterday when he ran through my restaurant and dumped a pot of boiling water over his head."

"Chasing Cologne as part of some training where he has to touch her while being a guy. He's been at it since Saturday." Akane shifted uneasily. "At least today is a review day. But if he doesn't finish this soon, he'll start missing finals."

"Not to mention waste time he needs to study," Ukyou added.

Akane nodded. "It's good to see you back at school. I was getting worried that you were going to drop out or move away."

Ukyou looked away. "Can't say I didn't think about that. I'm not going to let this mess with Ranma ruin my life any more than it already has."

Akane smiled a little. "That's good to hear."

"Doesn't mean I forgive you and Ranma," Ukyou remarked bitterly.

Akane frowned. "I can certainly understand that."

"I am willing to try to be friends though. I don't want to be alone anymore," Ukyou offered.

"Of course," Akane quickly agreed.

A loud eruption roared causing the two girls to look toward the school and saw water from the swimming pool flying into the sky above the school. Another loud roar of air and water in violent motion echoed and the water changed direction. They immediately ran around the school.

"Got you!" Ranma cheered, holding onto the elderly Amazon's arm.

Cologne poked her captor's ample chest. "You're a girl."

Ukyou, seeing the situation, glanced over and saw a teakettle in the teacher's lounge. She tossed a throwing spatula with a wire attached. Her aim was true as it passed through the open window and wrapped around the handle. With a sharp tug it came flying towards her.

Akane intercepted the teakettle, turned and pitched it at her fiance.

The teakettle bounced off the back of Ranma's head, splashing him with it's contents. The now male martial artist turned and smirked at Akane and Ukyou. "Thanks."

Cologne chuckled. "I never did say anything about interference or time limits. I will concede this round."

Ranma snatched the offered rings. "The training was amazing."

Cologne smirked. "You're welcome. But you still haven't completely mastered how to deflect water."

"Oh, I'll get that down. No sweat," Ranma promised.

Akane walked up to him. "Deflecting water does sound very useful for you, but it's time for school now."

Ranma blinked. "It's Monday already?"

Akane nodded. "At least it's a review day."

Ranma relaxed a little. "Oh, good. Cause I need a nap."

Akane slapped the back of his head. "You're going to need to do well."

"Yeah, whatever. It's Furinkan. The standards are shit here," Ranma pointed out.

"Ranma..." Ukyou looked at him uncertainly.

The boy frowned at how she addressed him. "Yeah?"

"I haven't forgiven you yet, but don't be a stranger. You're still my friend," Ukyou offered.

Ranma smiled. "Of course."

Ukyou then wagged her finger at him. "Don't expect any free food anymore though. That was a fiance discount."

Ranma let out a weak laugh. "I understand."

The school bell rang and the students ran for their classroom.

* * *

"Hi Mom. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a while. I've been busy.

"Yeah, I know. 'Too busy to talk to your own mother.' Well, the past year has been rather difficult for me."

Akane looked up at her mother's shrine, tears in her eyes. "You know Daddy arranged for one of us to get married to his old friend's son, right? Well, I'm the one that duty fell to. For a long time I fought against it. I didn't want to be forced to marry anyone. Let alone someone like Ranma. He turns into a girl with cold water! And he can be such a jerk. I nearly died before I realized I don't have to be forced to marry him, I could willingly accept it. I could marry him out of love and not for obligation.

"I still can't believe how hard this last school year was. It all really started before he showed up. Every morning I had to fight dozens of guys who wanted to date me before school. But when Ranma arrived nothing in my life was normal anymore. I lost my place in the world and I didn't know what to do. My life was ripped to shreds because of him. Ranma fought demons, princes, and wandering martial artists on almost a daily basis, and if they decided they needed a prize, I was it. When someone used magic, if Ranma wasn't the victim, I was. If someone wanted to marry Ranma, they attacked me because I'm the closest to him. It's all Ranma's fault this stuff happened to me.

"Am I being hard on him because of it? I don't think so. My life would be so much easier without him. Also, I was the best martial artist in Nerima and he took that away from me. Because he was here my choices of what I could do with my life were taken away from me. I was engaged to marry him and I didn't have any say in the matter!

"True, Ranma didn't have a say either, but if he hadn't shown up, I would still have control of my life, still be the best."

Akane sighed. "The strangest thing is that I wouldn't have my life any other way than it is now. Well, maybe not as chaotic, but I like how my life is. Despite everything that's happened to me because of Ranma, I love him. I'm not really sure why, I just do.

"When did I fall in love with him? I don't know. As odd as it sounds, it might have been when he first arrived here. When I first saw him he looked so hurt and scared I probably would've hugged him if I wasn't so angry at Daddy for engaging one of us to him. I guess I was also afraid if I had done that, I'd end up his fiancee.

"Since it was raining at the time, he showed up as a girl. This made Nabiki upset and caused Daddy to faint. Their response only hurt Ranma more, so I offered him my friendship and a sparring match. When he smiled back and accepted, I felt... well, I didn't know what I was feeling."

Akane looked away from the shrine. "I sparred with Ranma, and he was beyond good. He defeated me easily and I never even hit him once. I was upset that I had been defeated, but also relieved it was a girl who defeated me. I had so much trouble with guys I didn't like the idea of a guy who could easily beat me in a fight."

Akane blushed a little. "I was to first to find out Ranma was really a boy. I walked into the bath expecting this girl, and what I found was a guy. Things went badly from there. When I saw him, I was really scared. I didn't know who he was, we were both naked, and he was in my house."

Akane cast her eyes on the floor. "When they explained their curse, I was furious. I felt like he had lied to me. I found out I had been defeated by a guy. And this guy had scared me. What a way to met the love of your life, huh?

"Then they decided that Ranma was engaged to me. I tried to refuse, but someone had to be engaged to him and I was the logical choice. We are both martial artists, the same age, and some other things."

Akane looked at her mother's picture. "From there things started to get better. I tried to push him away, but it didn't work. He never left me. But more problems started when his past followed him here.

"Ryoga was an old rival and he had fallen in love with me. He caused a fair amount of trouble for Ranma. He tried to kill Ranma so many times, but I don't think he would ever do it." Akane closed her eyes tightly. "Part of the problem with Ryoga was that he was accidentally cursed to turn into a pig by Ranma, who made an oath to never tell anyone. Ryoga then became my pet, P-Chan. I didn't find out until recently that P-Chan and Ryoga were the same person. Of course I was furious and hit him REALLY hard. If he was a normal person, he would've been dead."

Akane sighed and played with her engagement ring. "Then there was Shampoo, an Amazon whose intelligence hides behind a so cute you want to gag demeanor. She tried everything possible to win Ranma. She came closer than anyone to ruin my relationship with Ranma. Finding her in his bed, naked in the bath with him, and various other incidents had made me want to kill Ranma. If Kasumi hadn't calmed me down and helped point out that Ranma wasn't really at fault, I wouldn't be getting married to him.

"Ukyou was a problem too, even though I'm sort of friends with her. She wanted to marry Ranma, so she tried to set me up with Ryoga. If Ranma had ever stopped thinking her as a sister, she might've won.

"The Kuno siblings were a problem that wasn't from his past. They were more annoyance than anything else. The closest Kodachi came to separating Ranma and me was when she doctored a photograph so it looked like Ranma was kissing her. Her attempt backfired as we ended up closer together, since I helped Ranma get free from her and he ate some cookies I made that could kill a horse. Looking back now, I really hate it that while we could show how much we cared through our actions, we couldn't say it."

Akane sighed. "There were many other people and events that messed with our lives, few did more than annoy us. My trip to Ryugenzawa was one of the closest times we came to breaking up for good. Between Shinnosuke falling in love with me and the Yamata no Orochi nearly killing Ranma and me, we came too damn close to losing everything. When we left though, Ranma and I were closer than ever. We walked for hours hand in hand.

"There were other close calls in the death department. Herb, Tarou, and Saffron nearly killed either me or Ranma. Saffron was by far the worst, and Ranma had to sort of kill him in order for us to live."

Akane looked at her hands. "I'm scared of death and dying. I don't want to die, but Ranma is cursed with an interesting life that's full of adventure. There may be a day Ranma and I go on an adventure and one of us doesn't come back. I can't stand the idea of dying, but I'm even more afraid of living without him. He's part of my life now, and I'd sooner die with him than live without him.

"I'm also really scared that I can easily kill people. There aren't many people who could live through my final attack. I don't know if Ranma could."

Akane giggled a little. "I remember Daddy telling me a bed time story about great martial artists capable of throwing fireballs with chi, and you joked about filling my head with such non-sense."

Akane started to cry. "I wish it was just make believe now. I can throw fireballs with my chi, I can turn boulders into powder, and I can kill dozens of people without breaking a sweat. I have so much power and little control. I get angry far too easily, fortunately my reasons for getting angry have largely gone away. I'm no longer jealous of the other girls since Ranma is mine and they aren't better martial artist than me anymore. Ranma isn't as insulting and he isn't getting into so many perverted situations anymore either."

Akane looked at her mother's picture again. "I'm babbling, aren't I? I can't help it, I'm REALLY nervous. In less than sixteen hours I'm going to marry Ranma. I haven't really said much about him, have I? Just his problems."

Akane sighed. "Ranma is, well, Ranma. He's hard to describe. He is unique, that's for certain. He's both a guy and a girl, though he's mostly a guy and quite adamant about that. He used to be a pig-headed jerk, well he still is but not as bad. I think he finally accepted who he is, curse and all. He doesn't feel he has to prove he's a man anymore because his mother and I understand that he is a man, even though his female body could make a girl want to be a lesbian."

Akane frowned. "I hope you're not disappointed that not only have I had sex with him already, but when he's in a girl's body too. I know it's a bit perverted for me to do that, but I was interested in what it was like. I'm not entirely comfortable that I like it as much as I do, but I guess I've always been a bit of a pervert.

"I wondered off topic again, huh? Well, Ranma can be kind and sweet when he isn't being defensive. Unfortunately he's defensive a lot of the time when he's in public. Ranma has an odd sense of right and wrong. He'll do anything to win a challenge but won't risk harming a girl or his friends unless they are the one that challenged him. I know Ranma wants to be considered a good guy, but he kind of fails at that. If a fight is going badly, he'll cheat to win. Also, Uncle Saotome betrothed Ranma to Ukyou, and since he's marrying me he- he fails his obligation to her." Akane looked down at her lap. "That and he, sort of, raped me. He couldn't control himself at the time because of a martial arts technique."

Akane sighed. "Love is blind, isn't it, Mom? I have so many reasons why I shouldn't marry him, and yet I don't care. I love him. In the past year I've been drugged, beaten, and nearly died several times and raped once. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for Ranma, but I'd go through it all again for him.

"I am being too hard on him about that. Some of the things happened regardless if he was here or not, and I might have died without him. I guess I would owe him my life, if I hadn't come close to dying because of him so many times. But that doesn't matter, I would die for him since I gave him my heart.

"I was hoping talking about this could help my fears, but it's not. I'm afraid of what the future holds, afraid of the chaos that surrounds Ranma, afraid that the past year was only the beginning."

Akane just stared at her mother's picture now. She wanted some reassuring words.

"Akane?" Ranma called from the hall.

"I'm in here," Akane replied.

Ranma entered the room. "What are you doing in your dad's room?"

"Talking to mom," Akane answered, raising her hand towards the shrine.

Ranma shrugged. "Oh, so what were you talking about?"

"How stupid I am for falling in love with you," Akane smirked.

Ranma blinked. "Huh?"

Akane stood up and walked over to him. "My life would be so much easier without you, but I wouldn't have my life any other way than being at your side." She gave him a quick kiss. "Come on, let's go to sleep."

"Sleep?! I'm too nervous to get any sleep." Ranma fidgeted.

Akane grinned devilishly. "I'm sure you'll fall asleep if you exhaust yourself first."

"Oh!" Ranma smiled back at his soon-to-be wife. Akane started to lead him out of the room when he whispered towards the shrine, "Thanks."

* * *

Akane tugged nervously at the dress she was wearing. The dress was made of white silk with gold inlay. It was Chinese and form fitting in design and looked like something Shampoo would wear.

Akane decided the dress was very uncomfortable, but it was no fault to the actual design. The dress was uncomfortable because it was her wedding dress, and in a matter of minutes she was going to be Mrs. Saotome.

In many ways Akane could already claim that title, but in a few moments there would be no turning back. She would be married to Ranma until death do they part, which for all she knew could be today. She held no illusions about the strangeness of his life. Ranma stood in the center of a chaotic storm, and she was going to stand next to him, even if it killed her.

Akane knew the past year had been preparing her for this moment. The moment she finally walked down the isle and married Ranma, to stand with him against the chaos. She may not have been the most skilled of the fiancees Ranma had, but she was the most stubborn. The fact that she was the one standing here, despite all the events that would cause any normal couple to break up, proved that.

Akane was glad she hadn't had anything to eat yet today. She was scared shitless and her stomach was extremely queasy. She was sure she would have made some kind of mess if she had eaten.

Akane really just wanted to get this done and over with. She actually emitted a sigh of relief when the wedding march began to play.

Akane smiled nervously as she exited the enclosed area of the dojo where she had waited for the ceremony to begin. She took her father's arm as he lead her to the other side of the dojo. Akane was thankful she didn't have a Jusenkyo curse, her father was crying so much she was starting to get wet.

Akane looked at Ranma and Cologne at the end of the isle. This was really just ceremony for the sake of ceremony. They were pretty much married anyway. There was no reason to be nervous. The paperwork had already been filed and her name legally changed to Saotome. He shared her bed and she didn't see how they could get any closer. Despite all that reasoning it didn't help her much.

Some of the guests took note that the 'blushing bride' didn't look happy. Those that knew her best understood her look. It was one of grim determination, and woe be to anyone who got in her way.

Ranma watched as Akane was led towards him. Her sheer look of determination didn't help him. If anything, it made him even more nervous, if that was possible. He loved her, but was he ready for this? He wished he hadn't eaten breakfast. His stomach was doing somersaults.

Cologne smiled at the two. She didn't like that she had to combine the Amazon marriage ceremony with the western customs, but she did agree to perform the wedding for them. "We are gathered here to witness the union of these two warriors. They are to be joined together for betterment not just for themselves but to the community as well. They embark on a partnership to last throughout their lives. If there is anyone who feels that they would make a better mate to one of these two warriors, offer up your challenge to them for no challenges may be made after the union is complete."

Ranma and Akane nervously scanned the guests to see if someone would interrupt it.

The minister, who had just presided over the Saotomes' renewing their wedding vows, raised an eyebrow to Cologne's changes.

Soun, of course, was crying streams of water.

Ryoga was crying almost as much as Soun.

Ukyou just sat there, stone faced.

Nabiki smiled at her sister. She was upset that Ukyou showed less emotion than she did.

Shampoo turned her head away from Ranma's and Akane's eyes, snubbing them.

Nodoka, Kasumi, Sayuri, and Yuka cried softly.

Hiroshi and Daisuke looked around, seeming to expect someone to interrupt and offer them a chance to see yet another fight.

Genma sat there with an air of pride and arrogance, giving the impression that he felt he was the sole reason for this wedding.

Mousse just watched.

"Ranma, you are an Amazon male and have been defeated by this outsider female, correct?" Cologne questioned.

"Y-yes," Ranma stammered.

Cologne turned toward the bride. "Akane, you have defeated this Amazon male and you have also learned one of the Amazon's special techniques, correct?"

"Yes," Akane said firmly.

Cologne continued, still looking at Akane, "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, through war and peace, through times good and bad, until the day you draw your final breath."

"I do," Akane's voice cracked a little.

Cologne turned to Ranma. "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife. To love, honor and obey, through war and peace, through times good and bad, until the day you draw your final breath."

"I do." Ranma responded as directed. He hadn't be able to pay attention to what Cologne actually said.

Cologne smirked. "Do you have the symbols of your love?"

Ranma and Akane pulled out identical looking gold rings with a Yin and Yang gem design.

Cologne continued. "These rings are symbols of your love. May you wear them for all eternity, loving no other above each other."

Ranma placed the ring onto Akane's finger. The ring shrank to fit snugly. Akane then placed the ring she held onto Ranma's finger, and it became smaller to fit him as well.

"It is my pleasure to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome. You may kiss the bride."

Ranma leaned towards Akane and kissed his wife. A cheer was raised by most of the guests.

* * *

The reception seemed a bit somber, as if it was more a funeral wake than a wedding. It wasn't much of a surprise considering some of the guests would've liked to have been the bride, while another wished to have been the groom.

Akane wasn't happy with the air of what was supposed to be a celebration of her love. It did not improve with the ceremonial breaking of the sake barrel. Alcohol now flowed freely amongst the guests. While Sayuri, Yuka, Hiroshi and Daisuke used the opportunity to get drunk while being under-aged, for the failed suitors- they were drowning their sorrows.

"Let's go," Ranma whispered to his new wife.

Akane nodded.

They did not announce their departure, rather sneaking out while their guests focused more on their drinks.

Kasumi stood near the front door, their travel backpacks resting on the ground near them.

"How did you know when we going to leave?" Ranma wondered.

"I didn't. I've been here the past half hour," Kasumi replied.

Akane pouted. "You didn't have to wait on us."

"I wanted to be sure to see you off," Kasumi returned. "Besides... I didn't feel comfortable in the dojo."

Ranma let out a slight chuckle. "So, we weren't the only ones."

Kasumi nodded. "Now be good to my little sister."

"I will," Ranma promised.

Kasumi then grabbed her little sister's hands. "Have a wonderful time. See you in two weeks."

Akane hugged her. "I will."

Ranma snatched both backpacks and grabbed his wife by the hand. "Let's go while we still can. Bye, big sis."

"Bye," Akane added.

Kasumi let out a giggle. He really was her little brother now.

The newlyweds ran down the straight toward the subway station. From there they would go to the train station and leave Tokyo to spend their first two weeks as husband and wife together.

A delivery truck roared past them. As Ranma's luck would have it, a pot hole caused the truck to bounce and a case of fish cakes came flying out. The contents exploded as it hit the ground and a string of the seafood ended up wrapped around Ranma.

"Some times I think the gods hate me," Ranma muttered.

Akane's eyes went wide as she heard the cries of several cats. Out of nowhere came a dozen of the furry little pets, attracted by the promise of free food. She froze, uncertain what she should do?

Ranma shivered in fear. The meowing cats raking across his soul like finger nails on a chalk board. Stiffly he pulled the string of fish cakes off himself. He then began to take uneasy steps forward. The furry evil beasts were around him. He could hear them, but he would not look at them. Staring straight ahead, he move in jerking motions, fighting the urge to forget himself and join the in the feast. He was a man, not an animal. They will not win.

"Ranma," Akane gasped. She then tackled him with a hug. "You did it! You didn't go into Nekoken!"

Ranma blinked. He hadn't fallen. He tried to glance back but as soon as he saw a fluffy tail he immediately looked away. The fear remained, but he was still a man. "I guess I'm finally getting some control back."

Akane nodded. "The worst is behind us."

"With Nekoken at least," Ranma muttered.

"We'll face any challenge head on," Akane vowed.

Ranma smirked at her. "Yes, we will."

* * *

Author's note:

My original outline called for this chapter to be three different parts. Going over what I had planned, there really wasn't any reason to stretch out the final week. Sure I could've done another meeting with the psychologist, had Akane show Ranma a picture of a cat, or done a number of things to expand on the story. None of that was really necessary to tell what was needed. As such, after many years, Nekoken is Out of the Bag is finally done.

I will begin posting what was supposed to be the sequel, 'Of Mothers, Of Fathers,' as a separate story. I will be limiting Nekoken references so that it will not be required to read, but Ranma's cat side forcibly mating with Akane is something that likely can't be removed entirely.


End file.
